Archive of Key WTO Documents

WTO Negotiations

• Canada co-sponsors plurilateral services market access requests - February, 2006-02-22
• Declaration in Hong Kong, China, by WTO Ministers on the Doha Work Program - December 18, 2005
  Ministers from WTO Member countries met in Hong Kong, China, December 13 - 18, 2005 for the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference. Annex C in the above "Ministerial declaration" provides important guidance for the WTO negotiations on services.
  • Chairman of the Committee for Trade in Services (Special Session) Report to the WTO Trade Negotiations Committee on preparations for the Sixth Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong - November 28, 2005
    Note: The above document (referred to in Annex C to the Hong Kong Ministerial declaration) provides a compilation of sectoral and modal objectives in the services negotiations as identified individually, or by groups of WTO Members. The compilation does not represent in any way consensus among Members on any of the objectives identified. As noted by the Chairman, the document has no legal standing and is without prejudice to positions of Members.
  • Report of the Chairman of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation to the Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services - November 15, 2005.
    Note: The above document (referred to in Annex C to the Hong Kong Ministerial declaration) was prepared by the Chairman of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation to serve as an illustrative list of possible elements for any necessary disciplines on domestic regulation under GATS Article VI:4. The document was prepared by the Chairman on his own authority, on the basis of proposals presented and comments made by WTO Members in the Working Party on Domestic Regulation. As noted by the Chairman, while the list reflects interests and concerns discussed by Members, there is no presumption that consensus has been reached on its elements.
• Canada's Statement in the Council for Trade in Services (Special Session) on Review of Progress in the Services Negotiations - July 1, 2005
• Canada Releases Revised Offer in WTO Services Negotiations
• WTO GATS Proposals Supported by Canada:
  
  • Joint Communication On the Liberalization of Telecommunications Services - July 1, 2005
  • Joint Communication on the Liberalization of Construction Services - June 30, 2005
  • Proposal on Transparency of Mode 4 Commitments - June 21, 2005
  • Mode 4 Commitments and Economic Needs Tests - June 21, 2005
  • Joint Communication on the Liberalization of Financial Services - June 8, 2005
  • Transparency Template: Canada's Revised Horizontal Mode 4 Offer - May 25, 2005
  • Transparency: Market and Regulatory Information for Developing-Country Service-Suppliers - May 25, 2005
  • Joint Statement on the Importance of Commitments on Maritime Transport Services - February 25, 2005
  • Joint Statement on the Negotiations on Computer and Related Services - February 25, 2005
  • Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) -
    February 22, 2005
  • Joint Statement on Mode 4: A Common Approach to Scheduling - February 18, 2005
  • Joint Statement on Logistics Services - February 18, 2005

Reports of WTO Services Meetings

Minutes, annual reports and other documents relating to meetings of the WTO Services Council are available on the WTO website

• Meetings of the Services Council in Special Session (meetings related to current negotiations)
• Meetings of the Services Council in Regular Session, and its various committees and subsidiary bodies (meetings related to ongoing work on trade in services in the WTO)

Other Issues of Interest Related to Trade in Services

• WTO World Trade Report 2005 - focus on Offshoring and Air Transport
• WTO Symposium on Cross-Border Supply of Services