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Draft declaration 

Draft Cancún Declaration, as forwarded by Pérez del Castillo and Supachai to ministers: text and covering letter.

Revised draft Ministerial declaration as presented by Chairperson Luis Ernesto Derbez on the fourth day of the Cancún Ministerial Conference.

 

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The concluding ministerial statement 

> Download in MS Word format (1 page; 44 KB)
> Browse Online

  

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Day-by-day 

• Day 1: Conference kicks off with ‘facilitators?named and cotton debated, 10 September 2003
  Mexican President Vicente Fox opened the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference on 10 September 2003, and ministers started work in consultations on key issues with “facilitators? The day ended with a debate on a proposal on cotton from four African countries.
    
• Day 2: Cambodia and Nepal membership sealed as ministers start negotiations, 11 September 2003
  Ministers began negotiations on 11 September 2003 with an informal heads of delegations meeting followed by group discussions on the key issues, while in a formal session they approved the membership agreements of Cambodia and Nepal.
    
• Day 3: ‘Facilitators?start work on new draft declaration, 12 September 2003
  As the conference’s half-way point passed, the chairperson’s “facilitators?wrapped up their first round of consultations and began drafting a new ministerial declaration.
  Meanwhile on the ceremonial side, Cambodia and Nepal signed their membership packages a day after ministers agreed them ?the two new members will formally join the WTO 30 days after they have ratified the agreements and informed the WTO.
    
• Day 4: as ministers comment on new draft, Chairperson warns of dangers of failure, 13 September 2003
  Following the new draft declaration’s circulation and a long meeting in which ministers criticized the points they disliked, Chairperson Derbez expressed concern, in the early hours of 14 September, that failure would damage the world economy and the trading system.
    
• Day 5: Conference ends without consensus, 14 September 2003
  The Cancún Ministerial Conference ended on 14 September after Chairperson Luis Ernesto Derbez concluded that despite considerable movement in consultations, members remained entrenched, particularly on the “Singapore?issues.

  

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Other news 

> of the Doha Development Agenda
> of the Cancún Ministerial Conference

  

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Background material 

Briefing notes on the Ministerial and the main issues

  

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The mandate   

The Ministerial Conference is the topmost body of the WTO under the governance structure set up by the “Agreement Establishing the WTO?

• What is the Cancún Ministerial Conference?
• Summary of the Agreement Establishing the WTO
• Download the legal text of the Agreement Establishing the WTO

  

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Statements 

• From the inaugural session
• From  Members
• From Observers

  

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Official documents for the Cancún Ministerial  

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