GATT/AIR/2619 8 JUNE 1988

SUBJECT: URUGUAY ROUND NEGOTIATING GROUP ON FUNCTIONING OF THE GATT SYSTEM

1. THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE NEGOTIATING GROUP ON FUNCTIONING OF THE GATT

SYSTEM WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY 20 AND WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 1988 AT 10 A.M. IN

THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD. THE GROUP WILL MEET IN BOTH FORMAL AND

INFORMAL SESSION AS NECESSARY.

2. THE FOLLOWING AGENDA IS PROPOSED FOR THE MEETING:

(A) DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECTS DEFINED IN THE NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVES (MTN.GNG/5) WITH A VIEW TO DEVELOPING COMMON WORKING TEXTS;

(B) CONSIDERATION OF THE GROUP'S FUTURE WORK PROGRAMME AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR FURTHER MEETINGS;

3. UNDER ITEM (A), THE GROUP IS EXPECTED TO REVERT FIRST TO THE DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVE (iii) IN THE LIGHT OF THE DISCUSSIONS HELD IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING, AND THEN TO TAKE UP QUESTIONS RELATING TO NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVES (ii) AND (i). CONCERNING OBJECTIVE (ii), THE CHAIRMAN WOULD ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION BOTH OF MINISTERIAL INVOLVEMENT AND OF OTHER MATTERS RAISED IN PROPOSALS BY PARTICIPANTS SUCH AS THE ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND SECRETARIAT AND THE QUESTION OF THE CONSENSUS PRINCIPLE. IN RELATION TO OBJECTIVE (i), IT IS NOT PROPOSED TO HAVE A FURTHER FULL DISCUSSION OF THE MOST RECENT REVISION OF THE CHAIRMAN'S DISCUSSION PAPER ON A TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM BUT TO CONSIDER OTHER TOPICS RAISED, SUCH AS THE QUESTION OF A CENTRAL REGISTER OF NOTIFICATIONS TO GATT. IN THIS CONNECTION, REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT IN MTN.GNG/NG14/W/18.

4. THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED SINCE THE LAST MEETING:

MTN.GNG/NG14/7: NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT ON THE SEVENTH MEETING; REVISION OF CHAIRMAN'S DISCUSSION PAPER ON MINISTERIAL PARTICIPATION; FOURTH REVISION OF CHAIRMAN'S DISCUSSION PAPER ON TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM.

5. GOVERNMENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH

WISH TO BE REPRESENTED AT THIS MEETING ARE INVITED TO INFORM ME OF THE

NAMES OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.

A. DUNKEL

88-0873