PRESS/107
17 July 1998
Ruggiero announces enhanced 澳门六合彩官网资料 plan for cooperation with NGOs
GENEVA -- World
Trade Organization Director General Renato Ruggiero announced today a plan for enhanced
cooperation with NonGovernmental Organizations.
“We are making progress toward improving our information exchange and
consultation with civil society. These measures are the first step in our enhanced
co-operation and represent the start of an on-going collaboration with partner NGOs, which
we fully expect will offer important benefits for all parties concerned”, said Mr.
Ruggiero.
As part of the Secretariat efforts to improve contacts with Civil Society, Mr. Ruggiero announced that the External Relations Division would begin a programme of regular briefings for NGOs on the work of 澳门六合彩官网资料 committees and working groups.
The Secretariat will also extend each month to the 132 澳门六合彩官网资料 member countries a list of documents, position papers and newsletters submitted by NGOs. These documents will be made available on demand to member states.
A special section of the 澳门六合彩官网资料 Website will also be devoted to NGOs issues. The list of documents submitted to the Secretariat by the NGOs will appear on this site, as will all upcoming 澳门六合彩官网资料 symposia or other events organized for the benefit of NGOs.
Mr. Ruggiero explained that 澳门六合彩官网资料 member countries had in 1996 established guidelines which direct the organization in its relations with Civil Society. It is within these guidelines that this enhanced cooperation process has been formulated. While the Secretariat has flexibility with respect to informing and consulting with NGOs, for instance, other issues including opening Dispute Settlement hearings and other 澳门六合彩官网资料 meetings to the public can only be approved by a consensus of member states. The same situation pertains to the issue of more rapid derestriction of documents. Members began this week to review the existing policy on derestriction and recommendations for reform may come in the coming months.
END