WORLD TRADE WT/L/145
23April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1509)
Original: English
REPORTING PROCEDURES FOR THE SINGAPORE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Statement made bytheChairman atthemeeting oftheGeneral Council on16April 1996
1. Subsidiary bodies oftheGeneral Council areinvited toprepare theirreports onthebasis of
theProcedures foranannual overview oftheWTO activities andforreporting under theWTO laid
down bytheGeneral Council on15November 1995(WT/L/105). These reports should besubmitted
inaccordance withtheschedule ofmeetings circulated indocument WT/GC/W/32/Rev.1 inorder to
enable theGeneral Council toadopt itsownreport totheMinisterial Conference on7November 1996.
2. Given thedifferent mandates ofStanding Bodies oftheWTO itisdifficult toestablish acommon
format forreports ofthese bodies. Insome instances, forexample, efforts toinclude inreports an
assessment oranidentification ofproblems andissues could leadtoundue difficulties. Each Body
must therefore ultimately decide ontheformat ofreport which itdeems most appropriate for
consideration ofrelevant issues bythesuperior Body.
3. While taking theabove intoaccount, Isuggest thatthese reports include atleastthefollowing
elements:
(a) asection onimplementation oftherelevant Agreements;
(b) progress concerning work under theBuilt-in Agenda;
(c) anindication asappropriate ofissues andproblems which havebeenidentified and
recommendations ifany.