DECISION ON NEGOTIATIONS ON MOVEMENT OF NATURAL PERSONS

DECISION ON NEGOTIATIONS ON MOVEMENT OF NATURAL PERSONS

Ministers,

       Noting the commitments resulting from the Uruguay Round negotiations on the movement of natural persons for the purpose of supplying services;

       Mindful of the objectives of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, including the increasing participation of developing countries in trade in services and the expansion of their service exports;

       Recognizing the importance of achieving higher levels of commitments on the movement of natural persons, in order to provide for a balance of benefits under the General Agreement on Trade in Services;

       Decide as follows:

1.    Negotiations on further liberalization of movement of natural persons for the purpose of supplying services shall continue beyond the conclusion of the Uruguay Round, with a view to allowing the achievement of higher levels of commitments by participants under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

2.    A Negotiating Group on Movement of Natural Persons is established to carry out the negotiations.  The group shall establish its own procedures and shall report periodically to the Council on Trade in Services.

3.    The negotiating group shall hold its first negotiating session no later than 16 May 1994.  It shall conclude these negotiations and produce a final report no later than six months after the entry into force of the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization.

4.    Commitments resulting from these negotiations shall be inscribed in Members' Schedules of specific commitments.