WTO document WT/L/508 of 20 January 2003

Decision of 10 December 2002

The General Council,

Having regard to paragraph 2 of Article IV and paragraph 1 of Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (the “WTO Agreement”), the commitment made by Ministers, in paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration of 14 November 2001, to facilitate and accelerate the accession negotiations with acceding least-developed countries (LDCs), and the Decision- Making Procedures under Article IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed by the General Council (WT/L/93);

Considering the relevant provisions of the WTO Multilateral Trade Agreements, as well as Ministerial Decisions, and WTO legal instruments, on special and differential treatment for developing and least-developed countries;

Conducting the function of the Ministerial Conference in the interval between meetings pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article IV of the WTO Agreement;

Recalling that the Director General shall submit a status report to the Fifth Ministerial Conference on the “Implementation of the commitment by Ministers to facilitate and accelerate the accession of LDCs”;

Noting with concern that no LDC has acceded to the Organization in accordance with Article XII of the WTO Agreement since 1995;

Recognizing the need to build on recent progress and for further positive efforts designed to assist LDCs to participate in the rules-based multilateral trading system, as embodied by the WTO and its Agreements;

Taking into account the commitments undertaken by LDC WTO Members at similar levels of development;

Also taking into account the statements made on the accession of LDCs to the WTO: