Enhancing trade benefits for the developing countries, including the least developed and island developing countries as well as the economies in transition, should be among the highest priority objectives of the Third WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held in Seattle. The negotiations should significantly improve the market access for products and services of export interest to them, most importantly the agricultural and primary products, textile sector and the liberalization of labour movement.

These were underscored at an informal briefing given by the Executive Secretaries of the five UN regional commissions for the delegations attending the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly as well as for the secretariat staff and NGO representatives in New York, on 29 September 1999. Chaired by the Vice -President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia, the participants in the briefing were informed of the results of the regional preparatory meetings on the WTO conference by the Executive Secretaries of ECE, ESCAP, ECLAC and ESCWA as well as a representative of ECA.

In a 1998 resolution adopted by the ECOSOC on the review of the regional commissions, the Executive Secretaries were encouraged to organize periodic briefings in New York to bring the regional perspectives on substantive issues of global concern.

Stressing the finding that many developing countries, especially in Africa, have been adversely affected by the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements, the Executive Secretaries emphasized that the upcoming WTO negotiations should include provisions for early harvest for those disadvantaged countries and should respond effectively to their concerns about getting increasingly marginalized by globalization. A balanced system of rights and obligations within WTO should be secured.

The regional meetings and consultations had further stressed that priority should be given to consolidating the gains of the Uruguay Round, rather than opening up new areas for market liberalization. Many developing countries still lack capacity to adjust their trade regimes and to implement the large number of complex agreements, including in particular those on TRIPs and TRIMs, which characterized the Uruguay Round. There were also increasing concerns about the proliferation of technical standards, lack of progress in anti-dumping measures, and widespread application of other market restricting measures which are hindering the export prospects of the developing countries. The WTO dispute settlement mechanisms also remain beyond the reach of many developing countries, both due to their costly nature and lack of technical capacities in those countries.