WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/INF/1
18 February 2003
(03-1022)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth SessionCancún, 10 - 14 September 2003
WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
PROCEDURES REGARDING REGISTRATION AND ATTENDANCE OF
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AT THE FIFTH SESSION
OF THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
On 10 February 2003, the General Council agreed on the following procedures for
registration and attendance of Non-Governmental Orga nizations at the Fifth Session of the Ministerial
Conference (Cancún, 10 to 14 September 2003):
(i) NGOs would be allowed to attend only the Plenary Sessions of the Conference
(without the right to speak);
(ii) applications from NGOs to be registered  would be accepted on the basis of Article V,
paragraph 2 of the WTO Agreement, i.e. NGOs "concerned with matters related tothose of the WTO"; and
(iii) a deadline will be established for the registration of NGOs that wish to attend the
Conference.
In light of this, NGOs that want to attend the Cancún Ministerial Conference will be
requested to supply, in detail, all the necessary information indicating how they are concerned with
matters related to those of the WTO1. This procedure is waived for those NGOs which were duly
registered for at least two previous Ministerial Conferences.  NGOs which qualify are still obliged to
officially request registration and are subject to all other procedures and deadlines that apply to NGOsrequesting to attend the Fifth Ministerial Conference.
NGOs that want to attend the Cancún Ministerial Conference should submit their requests for
registration not later than 30 April.  Registration forms will be sent by 31 May to all NGOs which
fulfil the registration criteria.  The registration forms will have to be returned duly completed by the
NGOs to the External Relations Division of the WTO Secretariat not later than 30 June.  Based on the
information provided, the Secretariat will process a list of registered NGOs.  In line with past practice,this list will be circulated to all WTO Members for information during the course of July.
Confirmation of registration will be sent to the NGOs as from 1 August.
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1 Information on the procedures for registration and attendance of NGOs at the Fifth Session of the
Ministerial Conference will be made available on the WTO website (www.wto.org).