1. The Fifth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference ended on September 14, 2003, without 
adopting a ministerial declaration, by failing to agree upon important issues of Doha Development Agenda 
(DDA) negotiations.

2. Ministers of member countries gathered around for informal "greenroom" meeting to discuss on the so-
called "Singapore issues", but failed to reach an agreement till late afternoon on September 14th, 2003.  At 
16:00, Luis Ernesto Derbez, chairperson of the Ministerial Conference and foreign minister of Mexico, 
announced at the HOD meeting that the Fifth Ministerial Conference failed to reach an agreement.

    * "Singapore issues" includes, Investment, Competition Policy, Transparency in     Government 
Procurement, and Trade Facilitation.

3. In the informal greenroom meeting, European Communities (EC) proposed to start negotiations on the 
rule-making of trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement instead of all four issues but 
encountered oppositions from member countries who insisted negotiations on all four issues or none.  
Chairperson Derbez decided to end the conference by concluding that compromise could not be reached.

4. Ministers adopted the Ministerial Statement which insists on the continuation of DDA negotiations and 
convening of the General Council at Geneva, at senior officials level no later than December 15, 2003 to take 
necessary action at that stage to enable members to move towards a successful conclusion of the 
negotiations.

5. The overall time frame of the DDA negotiations may face some difficulties by failing to reach an agreement 
on the framework at the Fifth Ministerial Conference.  Negotiations on the next steps are expected to 
continue for months until mid-December, 2003.

                                                                 Spokesperson of MOFAT

* unofficial translation