G7 Trade Ministers Meetings
Marrakesh Declaration of 15 April 1994
Ministers, Representing the 124 Governments and the European
Communities participating in the Uruguay Round of Multilateral
Trade Negotiations, on the occasion of the final
session of the Trade Negotiations Committee at Ministerial level
held at Marrakesh, Morocco from 12 to 15 April 1994,
Recalling the Ministerial Declaration adopted at Punta
del Este, Uruguay on 20 September 1986 to launch the Uruguay
Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations,
Recalling the progress achieved at the Ministerial
meetings held at Montreal, Canada and Brussels, Belgium in
December of 1988 and 1990 respectively,
Noting that the negotiations were substantially concluded on 15
December 1993, Determined to build upon the success of the
Uruguay Round through the participation of their economies in the
world trading system, based upon open, market-oriented policies
and the commitments set out in the Uruguay Round Agreements
and Decisions, Have today adopted the following
Declaration:
- Ministers salute the historic achievement represented by the
conclusion of the Round, which they believe will strengthen the
world economy and lead to more trade, investment, employment and
income growth throughout the world. In particular, they welcome:
- the stronger and clearer legal framework they have adopted
for the conduct of international trade, including a more
effective and reliable dispute settlement mechanism,
-
the global reduction by 40 per cent of tariffs and wider
market-opening agreements on goods, and the increased
predictability and security represented by a major expansion in
the scope of tariff commitments, and
- the establishment of a multilateral framework of
disciplines for trade in services and for the protection of
trade-related intellectual property rights, as well as the
reinforced multilateral trade provisions in agriculture and in
textiles and clothing.
- Ministers affirm that the establishment of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) ushers in a new era of global economic
cooperation, reflecting the widespread desire to operate in a
fairer and more open multilateral trading system
for the benefit and welfare of their peoples. Ministers express
their determination to resist protectionist pressures of all
kinds. They believe that the trade liberalization and
strengthened rule achieved in the Uruguay Round will lead to a
progressively more open world trading environment. Ministers
undertake, with immediate effect and until the entry into force
of the WTO, not to take any trade measures that would undermine
or adversely affect the results of the Uruguay Round negotiations
or their implementation.
- Ministers confirm their resolution to strive for greater
global coherence of policies in the fields of trade, money and
finance, including cooperation between the WTO,
the IMF and the World Bank for that purpose./li>
- Ministers welcome the fact that participation in the Uruguay
Round was considerably wider than in any previous multilateral
trade negotiation and, in particular, that developing countries
played a notably active role in it. This has marked a historic
step towards a more balanced and integrated global trade
partnership. Ministers note that during the period these
negotiations were underway significant measures of economic
reform and autonomous trade liberalization were implemented in
many developing countries and formerly centrally
planned economies./li>
- Ministers recall that the results of the negotiations embody
provisions conferring differential and more favourable treatment
for developing economies, including special attention to the
particular situation of least-developed countries. Ministers
recognize the importance of the implementation of these
provisions for the least-developed countries and declare
their intention to continue to assist and facilitate the
expansion of their trade and investment opportunities. They agree
to keep under regular review by the Ministerial Conference and
the appropriate organs of the WTO the impact of the results of
the Round on the least-developed countries as well as on the
net-food importing developing countries, with a view to fostering
positive measures to enable them to achieve their development
objectives. Ministers recognize the need for strengthening
the capability of the GATT and the WTO to provide
increased technical assistance in their areas of competence, and
in particular to substantially expand its provision to the
least-developed countries./li>
- Ministers declare that their signature of the "Final Act
Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade
Negotiations" and their adoption of associated Ministerial
Decisions initiates the transition from the GATT to the WTO.
They have in particular established a Preparatory Committee to
lay the ground for the entry into force of the WTO Agreement and
commit themselves to seek to complete all steps necessary to
ratify the WTO Agreement so that it can enter into
force by 1 January 1995 or as early as possible thereafter.
Ministers have furthermore adopted a Decision on Trade and
Environment./li>
- Ministers express their sincere gratitude to His Majesty
King Hassan 11 for his personal contribution to the success of
this Ministerial Meeting, and to his Government and the people of
Morocco for their warm hospitality and the excellent
organization they have provided. The fact that this final
Ministerial Meeting of the Uruguay Round has been held at
Marrakesh is an additional manifestation of Morocco's commitment
to an open world trading system and to its fullest
integration to the global economy./li>
- With the adoption and signature of the Final Act and the
opening for acceptance of the WTO Agreement, Ministers declare
the work of the Trade Negotiations Committee to be complete and
the Uruguay Round formally concluded.
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Source: GATT ACTIVITIES 1994-1995 – A Review of the Work of the
GATT in 1994 and 1995. Geneva: World Trade Organization, 1996.
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