WTO news: what’s been happening in the WTO

WTO NEWS: 1999 NEWS ITEMS

16 June 1999

Non Governmental Organizations Facilities provided to attend the third WTO Ministerial Conference

As time is running and representatives from Non Governmental Organizations need to prepare for their attendance at the third Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held in Seattle from 30 November to 3 December 1999, WTO Members have agreed on 15 June 1999 to renew the same procedures for registration adopted for the two previous Ministerial Conferences held in Singapore (December 1996) and in Geneva (May 1998).

Applications from NGOs to be registered will be accepted on the basis of Article V, paragraph 2 of the WTO Agreement, i.e. such NGOs "concerned with matters related to those of the WTO".

When addressing their request for registration to attend the Seattle Ministerial Conference, NGOs have to supply in detail all the necessary information showing how they are concerned with matters related to those of the WTO.

To speed up the process for those NGOs who have been duly registered for and attended one of the following meetings: previous Ministerial Conferences (Singapore '96, Geneva '98) or the Symposia organized by the Secretariat in March 1999, their requests can be accompanied only by a shorter presentation of their activities and how they relate to those of the WTO. The reference of the meeting for which they have been granted registration and attended has to be mentioned.

Requests for registration accompanied by the presentation of the NGO activities have to be sent by mail before 16 August 1999 to:

External Relations Division
Centre William Rappard
154 rue de Lausanne
1211 Geneva 21
Switzerland

Please note that all registration forms are numbered and cannot be copied. They should be returned by mail with all the information requested and recent passport size photos attached to the External Relations Division as soon as possible and in any case not later than 15 September 1999. Incomplete requests will not be accepted.

Confirmation of registration will be sent to NGOs as from 1 October 1999 after the list of NGOs having requested registration has been circulated to WTO Members.

Upon confirmation of registration, badges will be made available in Seattle for entrance to the Plenary Sessions, entrance to the NGO Conference Centre, where facilities will be provided to all registered NGOs and participation in social events.