Note:
This paper is provided
as informal background for
information purposes only.
It should not be cited or
quoted as an official
document of the
WTO.
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At close of the three-year
negotiations, in February 1997, the commitments of
69 governments (contained in 55 schedules (2)
were annexed to the Fourth Protocol of the General Agreement on Trade in
Services. The world's industrialized countries all participated in the
deal. Over 40 developing countries large and small from virtually every
region of the world also took part as did six of the Central and Eastern
European economies in transition. The markets of the participants
accounted for more than 91 percent of global telecommunications revenues.
Moreover, since the negotiations, two participants in the Protocol
improved their commitments and three WTO members who had not participated
submitted commitments on basic telecommunications to the Council for Trade
in Services (3).
Overview
table of the results of the negotiations
The
results of the negotiations on basic telecommunications, while impressive,
are only a partial view of the commitments the WTO has achieved in this
sector. Prior to the entry into force of results of the negotiations, 69
WTO Member governments had listed telecommunications in their schedules
(counting commitments in both the Uruguay Round and in the subsequent
accessions of new Members). Twenty-six of these had committed on some form
of basic telecommunications and 50 had committed on some or all
value-added services. The negotiations increased the total number of
Member governments with commitments on telecommunications to 86 (contained
in 72 schedules). On basic services, the number of governments with
commitments has risen to 80 and on value-added services the number has
increased to 69 (since these services were sometimes also included along
with the basic services in the 4th protocol).
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Notes:
1.
On that date, a few of the participants had not yet ratified and deposited
their acceptance of the Protocol. The commitments of each such government
will formally enter into force 30 days from the date of its acceptance. back
to text
2.
Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia,
Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Côte
d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador, European Communities and its Member States, Ghana, Grenada,
Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica,
Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Senegal,
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Slovak Republic, South Africa,
Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United States and
Venezuela. back
to text
3. Switzerland and Pakistan submitted
improvements. Barbados, Cyprus, and Suriname submitted new commitments. back
to text |
