MEMORANDUM ON THE NEED TO IMPROVE INTERNAL TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WTO

A memorandum submitted on 13 July 2003 by a coalition of ten non-governmental organisations and civil society groups to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) leadership. The document argues that the WTO's internal decision-making processes are non-transparent and undemocratic, which in turn leads to rules and agreements that disadvantage developing countries and harm the environment and vulnerable populations.

• The WTO's consensus system is described as having a 'double-standard meaning' where developed countries are seen as creating a consensus that others must join, while a single developed country can block a consensus supported by a majority of members.
• Developing countries face systemic disadvantages due to an overloaded agenda, simultaneous meetings, and a lack of resources or permanent missions in Geneva, which can lead to them being counted as part of a consensus even if they are not present to voice their views.
• The memorandum alleges that developed countries apply political and economic pressures on developing countries to align their positions, using leverage such as bilateral aid, IMF-World Bank loans, and the removal of effective diplomats from Geneva posts.
• Preparatory processes for Ministerial Conferences are criticized for relying on 'informal', undocumented, and exclusive meetings, and for the use of 'clean' draft texts that ignore divergent views, making it harder for developing countries to voice opposition.
• The 'Green Room' process is identified as a discriminatory and non-inclusive system where only a few invited countries participate in major negotiations, effectively excluding the majority of the membership through the use of security guards to prevent uninvited ministers from entering.
• The memorandum claims the WTO Secretariat and its Director General have failed to maintain neutrality, specifically citing instances where the Director General campaigned for the 'Singapore issues' and an investment agreement despite strong opposition from developing countries.
• The authors propose several reforms, including the establishment of a formal 'General Assembly' during Ministerial Conferences, the election of chairs and facilitators by all members, and the cessation of 'Mini-Ministerials' and 'Green Room' meetings.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2003). MEMORANDUM ON THE NEED TO IMPROVE INTERNAL TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WTO. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cancun_21July03_Memo.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. MEMORANDUM ON THE NEED TO IMPROVE INTERNAL TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WTO. 2003. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cancun_21July03_Memo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=MEMORANDUM ON THE NEED TO IMPROVE INTERNAL TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WTO |date=13 July 2003 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cancun_21July03_Memo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2003memorandum, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{MEMORANDUM ON THE NEED TO IMPROVE INTERNAL TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WTO}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2003}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cancun_21July03_Memo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }