[14145]
November 15, 2001
TO: INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE No. 60-01
RE: WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHES NEW TRADE ROUND
On November 14, 2001, the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to
launch a new round of global trade negotiations in January 2002. The negotiations on trade in
services, which was initiated in January 2000, will continue within this broader round of
negotiations. The final Doha Ministerial Declaration reaffirms the Services Guidelines and
Procedures for the Negotiations, which was adopted by the Council for Trade in Services in
March 2001, as the basis for continuing negotiations.
If WTO members had failed to agree to a new round of negotiations, there were
concerns that not much progress would be made in the services negotiations. Now with the
launch of the new round, members of the WTO will be required to submit initial requests for
specific commitments in services by June 30, 2002 and initial offers by March 31, 2003.
Jennifer S. Choi
Associate Counsel