GATT/AIR/3546 28 JANUARY 1994

 

SUBJECT: URUGUAY ROUND: LEGAL DRAFTING PROCESS

 

1. AS AGREED BY THE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE ON 15 DECEMBER 1993 AND FURTHER ELABORATED IN THE INFORMAL MEETING OF HEADS OF DELEGATION ON 20 JANUARY 1994 (MTN.TNC/W/131), A LEGAL DRAFTING PROCESS FOR THE FINAL ACT OF THE URUGUAY ROUND HAS NOW BEEN ESTABLISHED. THIS PROCESS WILL BE CONDUCTED AS SET OUT BELOW.

2. AS ANNOUNCED AT THE HEADS OF DELEGATION MEETING ON 20 JANUARY, THE LEGAL DRAFTING PROCESS WILL BE MANAGED BY THE SECRETARIAT. DELEGATIONS WHO MAY HAVE NOTED PARTICULAR POINTS OF LEGAL DRAFTING MAY COMMUNICATE THEM IN WRITING TO THE SECRETARIAT’S LEGAL AFFAIRS DIVISION. LIKEWISE DELEGATIONS WHO HAVE NOTED PARTICULAR POINTS WITH RESPECT TO THE LINGUISTIC CONFORMITY OF THE THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE TEXTS MAY COMMUNICATE THEM IN WRITING TO THE SECRETARIAT’S TRANSLATION AND DOCUMENTATION DIVISION. ALL SUCH WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD REACH THE SECRETARIAT BY 11 FEBRUARY.

3. THE SECRETARIAT WILL CIRCULATE IN THE WEEK OF 14-18 FEBRUARY:

- A LIST OF PROPOSALS FOR RECTIFICATIONS TO THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TEXT OF THE FINAL ACT; AND

- A SEPARATE LIST OF PROPOSALS FOR RECTIFICATIONS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE TEXTS OF THE FINAL ACT IN THE THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES.

4. AN INFORMAL MEETING OPEN TO ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE HELD ON

23-25 FEBRUARY IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN, AS NECESSARY, THE REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED RECTIFICATIONS TO THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TEXT OF THE FINAL ACT, AND TO VERIFY THAT NO CHANGE OF SUBSTANCE IS ENTAILED. AFTER THIS MEETING, SEPARATE INFORMAL MEETINGS OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS WILL BE HELD TO EXPLAIN, AS NECESSARY, THE REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED RECTIFICATIONS TO THE FRENCH- AND SPANISH-LANGUAGE TEXTS OF THE FINAL ACT, AND LIKEWISE TO VERIFY THAT NO CHANGE OF SUBSTANCE IS ENTAILED.

5. A FINAL LIST OF PROPOSED RECTIFICATIONS, INCLUDING RECTIFICATIONS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY OF THE TEXTS OF THE FINAL ACT IN THE THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, WILL BE CIRCULATED IN THE WEEK OF 7-11 MARCH AND WILL BE PLACED BEFORE A MEETING OF THE HEADS OF DELEGATION IN THE WEEK OF

14-18 MARCH FOR THEIR FORMAL APPROVAL. THIS PROCESS MUST BE COMPLETED BY 25 MARCH IN ORDER TO ENABLE PREPARATION AND PRINTING OF THE TEXT FOR THE MINISTERIAL MEETING AT MARRAKESH ON 12-15 APRIL.

6. THE FINAL TEXTS IN ALL THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES THUS ADOPTED BY THE HEADS OF DELEGATION WILL BECOME THE DEFINITIVE LEGAL TEXTS TO BE SIGNED AND RATIFIED BY THE ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.

 

 

 

PETER D. SUTHERLAND