[asia-apec 1682] Fw: Preparations for 2001 WTO Ministerial - Qatar Rejected, Chile Proposes Santiago

[APEC Monitoring Group]

Subject: Preparations for 2001 WTO Ministerial - Qatar Rejected, Chile
Proposes Santiago


Preparations for 2001 WTO Ministerial -
Qatar Rejected, Chile Proposes Santiago
Strenghthened Role for WTO Staff

The WTO Secretariat has rejected the desert kingdom of Qatar for the
2001 Ministerial (see http://www.wto.org/ddf/ep/E4/E4290e.doc)
noting that it would be about 2200 hotel rooms short of the 5000 needed.

Chile has put forward a tentative proposal to substitute Santiago,
subject to an evaluation of the costs involved. (see
http://www.wto.org/ddf/ep/E5/E5255e.doc for Chile's submission in
English.  The Spanish version is included below, or can be obtained at
http://www.wto.org/ddf/sp/E5/E5255s.doc)

WTO staff have already visited Chile and concluded Santiago could
accommodate the 2001 Ministerial.  According to a December 7 Secretariat
report: "At the invitation of the Chilean authorities, a member of the
Secretariat visited Santiago from 26 to 30 November 2000 and reviewed
the facilities and infrastructure available in the light of WTO
requirements for a Ministerial Conference....Santiago de Chile has the
necessary facilities to host a WTO Ministerial Conference."

An unreleased WTO document on the
"Preparation and Organisation of Ministerial Conferences" (latest
revision,  December 6, 2000) seems to indicate members want the
Ministerial held in Geneva:
"Members reiterated that Ministerial Conferences should be held at the
WTO Headquarters unless the Ministerial Conference or the General
Council decides to accept an offer by a Member to host a Ministerial
Conference."

The same document calls for a strengthened role for WTO staff and for
solutions to be worked out at the WTO in advance of the Ministerial,
essentially to be rubber stamped by ministers who attend. Key
recommendations along these lines stated:

"(c) There was broad recognition of the need to establish an efficient,
Geneva-based preparatory process which would allow for solutions to be
worked out in advance for most issues, particularly when decisions by
Ministers are required. The setting up of any negotiating structure and
working groups as well as chairmanships should also be agreed during the
preparatory process.

(d) There seems to be broad agreement among Members that the Chairman of
the General Council with the support of the Director-General and the
Secretariat shall assume a central role in the preparatory process as
well as during the Ministerial Conference, especially in the negotiation
of any agreed outcome."


ORGANIZACIóN MUNDIAL
DEL COMERCIO

WT/GC/39

5 de diciembre de 2000(00-5255)
Original:   español

CUARTO PERÍODO DE SESIONES DE LA CONFERENCIA MINISTERIAL
Comunicación de Chile
 Se ha recibido de la Misión Permanente de Chile la siguiente
comunicación, de fecha 4 de diciembre de 2000, con el ruego de que se
distribuya a los Miembros.

_____________
Tengo el honor de dirigirme a V.E. para poner en su conocimiento, y por
su intermedio, al resto de los Miembros de la OMC, que el Gobierno de
Chile está evaluando seriamente el presentar la postulación de la ciudad
de Santiago como sede de la Cuarta Conferencia Ministerial de la
Organización Mundial del Comercio.  Al respecto, informo a V.E. que se
ha invitado a la Secretaría a realizar una visita técnica a Santiago, la
que se realizó a comienzos de esta semana.  Se espera que en los
próximos días se emita el respectivo informe.

El Gobierno de Chile consciente de que el tema será discutido en la
próxima reunión del Consejo General, ha querido informar lo anterior con
fines de transparencia.  Sin embargo, sólo durante la segunda semana de
diciembre y antes del 14 de diciembre, estaremos en condiciones de
confirmar esta postulación, una vez que se hayan examinado los aspectos
del financiamiento de un evento de esta magnitud.