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NGO participation
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The Ministerial Conference is the organization’s highest-level decision-making
body. It meets “at least once every two years”, as required by the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization —
the WTO’s founding charter.
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Other WTO Ministerials:
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Doha 9–14 Nov. 2001
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Seattle 30 Nov.–3 Dec. 1999
> Geneva
18 & 20 May 1998
> Singapore
9–13 Dec. 1996
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Draft declaration
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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.
The concluding ministerial statement
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> Download in MS Word format
(1 page; 44 KB)
> Browse Online
Day-by-day
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Other news
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> of the
Doha Development Agenda
> of the Cancún Ministerial Conference
Background material
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Briefing notes on
the Ministerial and the main issues
The mandate
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The Ministerial Conference is the topmost body of the WTO under the governance structure set up by the “Agreement Establishing
the WTO”.
Statements
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Official documents for
the Cancún Ministerial
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DOHA
AGENDA