MINISTERIAL CONFERANCES

PRESENTED BY
AMRITANJANA
TANVI GULATI
SONAL NEGI
SACHIN
DIVYA
VARLEEN
TANYA
 WHAT IS MINISTERIAL

CONFORNACES ?
The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference,
 which usually meets every two years.
 The Ministerial Conference is the topmost body of the WTO under the governance
structure set up by the “Agreement establishing the WTO
 It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions.
 The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral
trade agreements.
 The countries make their decisions through various councils and committees, whose
membership consists of all WTO members. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions
on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
 Ministerial Conferences
 Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
 Buenos Aires, 10-13 December 2017
 Nairobi, 15-19 December 2015
 Bali, 3-6 December 2013
 Geneva, 15-17 December 2011
 Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009
 Hong Kong, 13-18 December 2005
 Cancún, 10-14 September 2003
 Doha, 9-13 November 2001
 Seattle, November 30 – December 3, 1999
 Geneva, 18-20 May 1998
 Singapore, 9-13 December 1996
 The First WTO Ministerial Conference
 The First WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Singapore between 9 and
13 December 1996
 Trade, foreign, finance and agriculture Ministers from more than 120 World Trade
Organization Member governments and from those in the process of acceding to the WTO
participated in a Ministerial Conference in Singapore from 9 to 13 December 1996.
 The Conference was the first since the WTO entered into force on 1 January 1995.
 It included plenary meetings and various multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral business
sessions. These examined issues related to the work of the WTO's first two years of
activity and the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements.
 The Singaporean Government was the official host of the Ministerial
 Purpose
 Assess the implementation of our commitments under the WTO Agreements and decisions;
 Review the ongoing negotiations and Work Programme;
 Examine developments in world trade; and
 Address the challenges of an evolving world economy.
  Trade and Economic Growth
 Integration of Economies; Opportunities and Challenges
 Core Labour Standards
The Second WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Second WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland between 18 and
20 May 1998.  
 Second Session of the Ministerial Conference of the WTO is taking place at a particularly
significant time for the multilateral trading system, when the fiftieth anniversary of its
establishment is being commemorated.
 underline the crucial importance of the multilateral rule-based trading system
 recognize the importance of enhancing public understanding of the benefits of the multilateral
trading system in order to build support for it and agree to work towards this end.
 renew our commitment
 remain deeply concerned over the marginalization of least-developed countries
 The General Council will also submit to the Third Session of the Ministerial Conference,
 The Third WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Third WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Seattle, Washington State, US between 30 
November and 3  December  1999.
 This ministerial will launch major new negotiations.
 very beginning this conference was held amidst controversies.
 Thousands protested in opposition of failure of WTO.
 Issues of Human Rights and preservation of ecology.
 General Secretary Miche Moore inaugurated the Conference.
 Developing countries including India strongly opposed the inclusion of labour standards in the list.
 The Indian side was represented by Murasoli Maran, the Commerce Minister
The Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Doha, Qatar from
9 to 14 November 2001.
 The multilateral trading system embodied in the World Trade Organization has contributed
significantly to economic growth.
  International trade can play a major role in the promotion of economic development and the
alleviation of poverty.
 WTO members committed to addressing the marginalization of least-developed countries in
international trade and to improving their effective participation in the multilateral trading
system.
 Members stress commitment to the WTO as the unique forum for global trade rule-making and
liberalization.
 WTO strongly reaffirm our commitment to the objective of sustainable development
 WTO members confirm their collective responsibility to ensure internal transparency and the
effective participation of all members.
 The Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference
 The Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Cancún, Mexico from 10 to 14 September 2003.
 The main task was to take stock of progress in negotiations and other work under the Doha
Development Agenda.
 Anti globalization activists raised slogans against WTO in its inauguration itself.
 The Cancun Ministerial Conference was meant mainly to be a forum to review the progress of
negotiations under the Doha Work Programme .

The important features of disagreement raised in Cancun conference are as follows:

 Practical disagreement on agenda items
 Disagreement on Draft Ministerial Text proposed on September 14, 2003 which ignores concerns of
developing countries like India, on agriculture.
 The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Hong Kong, China, 13–18 December 2005.
 WTO members reaffirm the Declarations and Decisions we adopted at Doha, as well as the
Decision adopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004.
 Emphasize the central importance of the development dimension in every aspect of the Doha Work
Programme and recommit ourselves to making it a meaningful reality
 Reaffirm our commitment to the mandate on agriculture as set out in paragraph 13 of the Doha
Ministerial Declaration and to the Framework adopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004.
 Agree to ensure the parallel elimination of all forms of export subsidies and disciplines on all
export measures with equivalent effect to be completed by the end of 2013.
 Establish modalities and to conclude the negotiations.
The key outcomes of the conference were:

1. Resolve to complete the Doha Work Programme fully and to conclude negotiations in 2006.
2. Amendment to TRIPS Agreement reaffirmed to address public health concerns of developing
countries.

3. To establish modalities in agriculture and non-agricultural market access by April 30, 2006 and
prepare draft schedules by July 31, 2006 .

4. To eliminate export subsidies in agriculture by 2013, with a substantial part in the first half of
the implementations period.
5. Duty Free, quota free market access for all LDC’s products to all developed countries.
6. In Cotton export subsidies to be eliminated by developed countries in 2006 and trade-distorting
domestic subsidies
 Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Seventh Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, took place from 30
November to 2 December 2009.
 The general theme for discussion was “The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current
Global Economic Environment”.
 In parallel to the Plenary Session, there were two Working Sessions on 1 December and 2 December,
respectively.
 The Working Sessions were aimed at providing an interactive forum for Ministers for discussion under
two broad sub-themes: “Review of WTO activities, including the Doha Work Programme” for the first
day; and “The WTO's contribution to recovery, growth and development” for the second day.
 In his report to the General Council on 17 November 2009, Pascal Lamy said that while the upcoming
WTO Ministerial Conference would not be a negotiating session,
 it would be “a platform for ministers to review the functioning of this house”, including the Doha
Round, and an occasion “to send a number of strong signals to the world with respect to the entire WTO
waterfront of issues — from monitoring and surveillance to disputes, accessions, Aid for Trade,
technical assistance and international governance”.
 Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Eighth Ministerial Conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 17 December 2011.
 In parallel to the Plenary Session, where Ministers made prepared statements, three Working
Sessions took place with the following themes:
 “Importance of the Multilateral Trading System and the WTO”, “Trade and Development” and
“Doha Development Agenda”.
 The Conference approved the accessions of Russia, Samoa and Montenegro. In the final session,
Ministers adopted a number of decisions and the Chair made a concluding statement.
 In the final session on 17 December, Ministers adopted a number of decisions on intellectual
property, electronic commerce, small economies, least developed countries’ accession,
 a services waiver for least developed countries, and trade policy reviews (explained in the briefing
notes).
 The Chair concluded with a statement in two parts: a consensus statement on “elements for political
guidance” and a factual summary of points that Ministers made in the meeting.
 Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference

 At the Ninth Ministerial Conference, held in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 7 December2013 by the
President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
 ministers adopted the “Bali Package”,
 a series of decisions aimed at streamlining trade, allowing developing countries more options for
providing food security,
 boosting least-developed countries’ trade and helping development more generally.
 They also adopted a number of more routine decisions and accepted Yemen as a new member of
the WTO .
 The plenary sessions on 4 and 5 December provided an opportunity for ministers to make prepared
statements.
 On 5 December, ministers approved the accession of Yemen.
 At the Closing Session on Saturday 7 December, a day later than scheduled, ministers adopted the
“Bali Package” and a number of more routine decisions.
 Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference
 The “Nairobi Package” was adopted at the WTO's Tenth Ministerial Conference, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 15 to 19
December 2015.
 It contains a series of six Ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton and issues related to least-developed countries
(LDCs).
 A Ministerial Declaration outlining the Package and the future work of the WTO was adopted at the end of the five-day
Conference.
 Reaffirm the pre-eminence of the WTO as the global forum for trade rules setting and governance.
 Members note with concern the slow and uneven recovery from the severe economic and financial crisis of 2008,
resulting in lower global economic growth
 Pledge to strengthen the multilateral trading system so that it provides a strong impetus to inclusive prosperity and
welfare for all Members
 Acknowledge that international trade can play a major role in the promotion of economic development and the
alleviation of poverty.
 Recognize the role the WTO can play in contributing towards achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
 Recognize the importance of strengthened coherence in global economic policy-making.
 Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference

 The Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) took place from 10 to 13 December 2017 in Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
 It was chaired by Minister Susana Malcorra of Argentina.
 The Conference ended with a number of ministerial decisions, including on fisheries subsidies and
e-commerce duties, and a commitment to continue negotiations in all areas.
The Ministerial Conference decides as follows:
 Agree to continue the work under the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce since our last
session, based on the existing mandate as set out in WT/L/274.
 agree to maintain the current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions
until our next session which we have decided to hold in 2019.
 Members re-commit to implementation of existing notification obligations under Article 25.3 of
the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures thus strengthening transparency with
respect to fisheries subsidies.
 Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference

 On 12 March 2020, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo was informed by the Government of
Kazakhstan that, in connection with the current situation with COVID-19 and the WHO declaration of
a pandemic,
 it would be appropriate for Members to revisit the decision to hold the 12th Ministerial Conference
from 8-11 June in Nur-Sultan.
 As a result, the DG communicated to Members that “it is our considered view that holding MC12 as
previously agreed from 8-11 June will not be feasible”.
 In light of this development, DG Azevêdo and the chair of the General Council will consult with WTO
Members, as soon as conditions permit, on how to proceed with revised arrangements for MC12.
REFERANCES

LINKS
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.COM
www.yourarticlelibrary.com/trade-2/important-ministerial-conferences-of-wto/
www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/minist_e.htm