GATT/AIR/UNNUMBERED 23 FEBRUARY 1994

SUBJECT: ACCESSION OF HONDURAS

AT ITS MEETING ON 22-23 FEBRUARY 1994, THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THE REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF HONDURAS (L/7299 AND CORR.1 AND CORR. 2), AND APPROVED THE TERMS OF THE DRAFT PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION (L/7299, PAGE 17). THE SCHEDULE XCV - HONDURAS HAS BEEN CIRCULATED AS AN ADDENDUM TO THE REPORT (L/7299/ADD.1) AND HAS BEEN ANNEXED TO THE PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION. THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED THE TEXT OF THE DRAFT DECISION FOR THE ACCESSION OF HONDURAS (L/7299, PAGE 16) AND AGREED THAT THE DECISION SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO A VOTE.

MANY REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL REGISTERED THEIR VOTES ON BEHALF OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS. A COPY OF THE REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY (L/7299 AND CORR.1¹ AND CORR. 2) AND OF THE SCHEDULE XCV -HONDURAS (L/7299/ADD.1) TOGETHER WITH A BALLOT PAPER ARE HEREWITH DISTRIBUTED TO CONTRACTING PARTIES WHICH WERE NOT ABLE TO CAST THEIR VOTES AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE XXXIII, THE DECISION IS ADOPTED IF TWO THIRDS (I.E., SEVENTY-EIGHT) OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES CAST AFFIRMATIVE VOTES. THE RESULT OF THE VOTE WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND THE PROTOCOL FOR THE ACCESSION OF HONDURAS WILL BE OPEN FOR SIGNATURE AS SOON AS THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS PARAGRAPH 6, THE PROTOCOL WILL ENTER INTO FORCE AND HONDURAS WILL BECOME A CONTRACTING PARTY ON THE THIRTIETH DAY AFTER ITS ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROTOCOL.

CONTRACTING PARTIES ARE THEREFORE REQUESTED TO CAST THEIR VOTE ON THE DECISION AND TO CABLE OR TELEX THEIR REPLY OR TO RETURN THE COMPLETED BALLOT PAPER IN TIME TO BE RECEIVED BY THE SECRETARIAT NOT LATER THAN 13 MARCH 1994.

PETER D. SUTHERLAND

94-0356