ORGANISATION MONDIALE ORGANIZACI ÓNMUNDIAL
DUCOMMERCE DEL COMERCIO
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Centre William Rappard Téléphone: (4122)7395111
RuedeLausanne 154 Ligne directe: (4122)7395252
Case postale Téléfax: (4122)7314206
CH-1211 Genève 21 Télex: 412324OMC/WTO CH
Télégramme: OMC/WTO, GENÈVE
Référence: WLI/200 28June 1995
MARRAKESH AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING
THEWORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
DONE ATMARRAKESH ON15APRIL 1994
NOTIFICATION OFACCEPTANCE
Ihavethehonour toinform youthaton21June1995 theGovernment ofGuatemala
deposited withmeaninstrument ofratification oftheabove-mentioned Agreement, thereby
recognizing asfullybinding thesignature affixed byitsplenipotentiary on15April1994.
AtthetimeofsignatureoftheAgreement,theGovernmentofGuatemalamadethefollowing
statement:
"The Government ofGuatemala hereby provides notice toGATT thatGuatemala 's
signature totheMarrakesh Agreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization
iswithout prejudice toallGATT andWTO rights relative totheEuropean Union 's
(EU's)schedule ofconcessions foragricultural products asregards bananas
(HS:0803.00.12). Throughout theverification process, Guatemala made known
thattheEU'streatment ofbananas under theirMarch 1992 offerviolates numerous
GATT norms, asadispute settlement panel hasmade clear. TheEU'srecent
"FrameworkAgreementonBananas"notifiedtotheGATTon29March1994,which
isnowreflected intheschedule oftheEuropean Union, compounded those violations
totheserious detriment ofGuatemala. Despite Guatemalan efforts otherwise, EU
officials have refused toenter intoserious negotiations toaddress Guatemala 's
concerns onthisitem.
Accordingly,GuatemalawishestomakeclearthatinsigningtheMarrakeshAgreement
Establishing theWorld Trade Organization, Guatemala innowayforegoes anyrights
orrecourse available under GATT andtheWTO toachieve arestoration offairand
legalEUaccess onbananas. Guatemala 'sposition onthisissue isfullyconsistent
withallprovisionsandproceduresofthenewAgreementwhichpreservesGuatemala's
rights."
Thefollowing communications were received fromtheGovernment ofGuatemala
atthetimeofdeposit ofitsinstrument ofratification:
95-1783
WT/Let/24ORGANISATION MONDIALE DUCOMMERCE ORGANIZACI ÓNMUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Page 2
"The Government oftheRepublic ofGuatemala, inaccordance with therights
conferred onitbyparagraph 1ofArticle 20,"Special andDifferential Treatment",
oftheAgreementonImplementationofArticleVIIoftheGeneralAgreementonTariffs
andTrade 1994, formally notifies itsdecision todelay application oftheprovisions
oftheabove Agreement foraperiod offiveyears.
Inaddition inaccordance withtherights conferred onitbyparagraph 2ofArticle 20,
theGovernment ofGuatemala formally notifies itsdecision todelay application of
paragraph 2(b)(iii) ofArticle 1andArticle 6foraperiod ofthree years fromthedate
when itshallhave applied allother provisions oftheAgreement.
TheGovernment oftheRepublic ofGuatemala reserves therighttoretain officially
establishedminimumvaluesforthevaluationofgoodsinaccordancewithparagraph2
ofAnnex IIIoftheAgreement.
TheGovernment oftheRepublic ofGuatemala reserves therighttoprovide thatthe
relevant provision ofArticle 4oftheAgreement shallapply onlywhen thecustoms
authorities agree totherequest toreverse theorder ofArticles 5and6(Annex III,
paragraph 3).
TheGovernment oftheRepublic ofGuatemala reserves theright toprovide that
paragraph 2ofArticle 5oftheAgreement shallbeapplied inaccordance withthe
provisions oftherelevant notethereto, whether ornottheimporter sorequests
(Annex III,paragraph 4)."
"The Government oftheRepublic ofGuatemala, inaccordance withfootnote 5of
Article 2.2oftheAgreement onImport Licensing Procedures, formally notifies its
decision todelay theapplication ofsub-paragraphs (a)(ii) and(a)(iii) foraperiod of
twoyears."
Interms ofArticle XIV,paragraph 1,Guatemala shallbecome aMember oftheWorld
Trade Organization on21July1995.
Ialsohave thehonour toinform toinform youthaton23June 1995 Ireceived an
instrumentofratificationoftheabove-mentionedAgreementfromtheGovernmentofBurundi,
thereby recognizing asfully binding thesignature affixed byitsplenipotentiary on
13December 1994. Interms ofArticle XIV,paragraph 1,Burundi shallbecome aMember
oftheWorld Trade Organization on23July1995.
Theinstrument ofratification ofBurundi was accompanied bythefollowing
communication:
"However, theGovernment ofBurundi wishes tonotify itsintention ofdelaying the
application oftheAgreement onImplementation ofArticle VIIoftheGeneral
Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 inaccordance withArticle 20thereof."
Furthermore, Ihave thehonour toinform youthaton23June 1995 Ireceived an
instrument ofratification oftheabove-mentioned Agreement from theGovernment of
Sierra Leone. Interms ofArticle XIV,paragraph 1,Sierra Leone shallbecome aMember
oftheWorld Trade Organization on23July1995.ORGANISATION MONDIALE DUCOMMERCE ORGANIZACI ÓNMUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
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IntermsofArticleXI,paragraph1,theforegoingGovernmentsshallbedeemedoriginal
Members oftheWorld Trade Organization.
Thisnotification isfurnished inaccordance withparagraph 3ofArticle XIVofthe
Agreement.
R.Ruggiero
Director-General