|
|
WTO BOOSTS ITS NGO COOPERATION ACTIVITIES
On 12 April, the WTO Secretariat issued a paper outlining a range of
new initiatives it intends on undertaking with non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) in the leadup to the Fourth WTO Ministerial
Conference in Doha, Qatar from 9-13 November 2001. The intent of the
new programme, according to the paper, is to "facilitate and encourage
substantive and responsible discussion with NGOs on issues falling
within the WTO's mandate." The document also points to NGO-related
activities the Secretariat plans on undertaking at Doha itself.
Most of the proposals made in the paper involve holding meetings
between NGOs, the WTO Secretariat, and occasionally Member
representatives. These include small "lunchtime" dialogues wherein NGO
representatives who have published relevant studies or reports are
invited to the WTO in Geneva for informal discussions of their work
with interested delegations and Secretariat officials. The Secretariat
indicates that it may also hold one or more workshops, both in Geneva
and/or regionally on issues of interest to NGOs.
Referring to the Secretariat's proposed regional outreach initiative,
Renzo Franco, the WTO Secretariat representative before the Group of
Eight (G-8) wealthiest nations, told reporters on 2 April that, "We are
preparing regional working meetings and we will ask the ambassadors to
the WTO to actively participate in this process, such that it will not
concentrate exclusively on the Secretariat." Franco added that, "We
want the NGOs to understand the internal and technical mechanisms of
our activities".
NGO attendance at technical seminars in Geneva organised for Members by
the Secretariat is another area being explored, the document notes.
Such seminars are held from time to time at the WTO on a range of
issues, i.e. a 22-23 February 2001 Symposium on Tourism Services.
NGO briefings, which have heretofore occurred on an ad-hoc basis at the
WTO, will be organised on a regular schedule after WTO meetings of
interest to NGOs, including General Council sessions on preparations
for Qatar.
The new WTO-NGO arrangements are presumed by many to be a reaction --
however delayed -- to the massive demonstrations that met the WTO's
Third Ministerial Conference in Seattle in 1999. "Qatar cannot be a
repeat of Seattle," said Franco.
Doha-based initiatives
At the Doha Ministerial Conference, the WTO Secretariat is considering
holding General Daily briefings for registered NGOs to keep them
updated on the negotiation proceedings. These would be supplemented,
according to the paper, by periodic issue-specific briefings as well as
by workshops that would take place at the NGO Centre in Doha. The
latter would be open to all Ministerial participants, including
government officials.
The NGO-WTO meetings are to be supplemented by use of the WTO
website to both disseminate information on WTO events and
activities and engage in virtual interaction with civil society via
online discussions and chatrooms. The website will also be used to
disseminate information about logistical arrangements for NGOs
attending the Doha Ministerial and for NGO accreditation procedures.
The development, which has been welcomed by some NGOs in Geneva, comes
despite continuing disagreement among WTO Members over how the
organisation should deal with external transparency issues and
cooperation with civil society groups.
Article V:2 of the WTO Agreements calls upon the General Council
to "make appropriate arrangements for consultation and cooperation with
non-governmental organizations concerned with matters related to those
of the WTO." In a 1996 Decision, the General Council gave the
Secretariat the task of playing "a more active role in its direct
contacts with NGOs" that involved, inter alia, organisation of NGO
meetings, and arrangements to receive information NGOs may wish to make
available for consultation by interested delegations.
The Secretariat paper (WT/INF/30) is available on the WTO website at: http://docsonline.wto.org.
"WTO Seeks Dialogue with Civil Society," IPS, 2 April 2001; "WTO
Secretariat activities with NGOs," WTO, 12 April 2001; ICTSD Internal
Files.
|
|
