Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization
Decision on Institutional Arrangements for the General Agreement on Trade Services
Ministers,
Decide to recommend that the Council for Trade in Services
at its first meeting adopt the decision on subsidiary bodies set
out below.
The Council for Trade in Services,
Acting pursuant to Article XXIV with a view to facilitating
the operation and furthering the objectives of the General Agreement
on Trade in Services,
Decides as follows:
1. Any subsidiary bodies that the Council may establish shall
report to the Council annually or more often as necessary. Each
such body shall establish its own rules of procedure, and may
set up its own subsidiary bodies as appropriate.
2. Any sectoral committee shall carry out responsibilities as
assigned to it by the Council, and shall afford Members the opportunity
to consult on any matters relating to trade in services in the
sector concerned and the operation of the sectoral annex to which
it may pertain. Such responsibilities shall include:
(a) to keep under continuous review and surveillance the application
of the Agreement with respect to the sector concerned;
(b) to formulate proposals or recommendations for consideration
by the Council in connection with any matter relating to trade
in the sector concerned;
(c) if there is an annex pertaining to the sector, to consider
proposals for amendment of that sectoral annex, and to make appropriate
recommendations to the Council;
(d) to provide a forum for technical discussions, to conduct
studies on measures of Members and to conduct examinations of
any other technical matters affecting trade in services in the
sector concerned;
(e) to provide technical assistance to developing country Members
and developing countries negotiating accession to the Agreement
Establishing the World Trade Organization in respect of the application
of obligations or other matters affecting trade in services in
the sector concerned; and
(f) to cooperate with any other subsidiary bodies established
under the General Agreement on Trade in Services or any international
organizations active in any sector concerned.
3. There is hereby established a Committee on Trade in Financial
Services which will have the responsibilities listed in paragraph
2.
Continue on to Decision on Certain Dispute Settlement Procedures
for the General Agreement on Trade in Services
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