WTO | Ministerial conferences - Hong Kong 6th Ministerial

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The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference

The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Hong Kong, China, 13–18 December 2005. In general, ministerial conferences are the WTO’s highest decision-making body, meeting at least once every two years and providing political direction for the organization.

> HK host government website

Intergovernmental organization trade links
> Word Bank
> Development gateway
> OECD
> IMF
> ITC trade forum

Other WTO Ministerials:
> Cancún 10–14 Sept. 2003
> Doha 9–14 Nov. 2001
> Seattle 30 Nov.–3 Dec. 1999
> Geneva 18 & 20 May 1998
> Singapore 9–13 Dec. 1996

Ministerial Text back to top

Ministerial Declaration (Final version)
Earlier drafts from, 17 December (corrigendum), 7 December, 1 December and 26 November
Covering letter of 7 December from the General Council Chair and the DG to Secretary Tsang transmitting the Draft Ministerial Text
Questions for Ministers

Briefing notes on the Ministerial and the main issues back to top

Day-by-day back to top

Day 1: Conference opens formally and ministers consult on industrial goods, 13 December 2005
Hong Kong, China’s Chief Executive Donald Tsang formally opened the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference on 13 December 2005, and ministers started consultations on market access for non-agricultural products.
Day 2: Convergence elusive on first full day of consultations; cotton also discussed, 14 December 2005
First consultations on agriculture, non-agricultural market access and development issues show that differences remain on a number of issues, the ministers handling these issues reported to heads of delegations at an evening meeting on 14 December 2005.
Day 3: Tonga all set to join, as movement seen in talks on least-developed countries, 15 December 2005
The WTO’s membership is officially heading for 150 now that Tonga’s accession talks have been completed — Tonga still has to ratify the agreement before it formally becomes a member. Meanwhile, consultations continuing into the early hours of 15 December and resuming later in the day have seen some progress on issues concerning least-developed countries, the conference chairperson reported.
Day 4: Ministers start preparing revised draft ministerial text, 16 December 2005
WTO members ended the fourth day of the Ministerial Conference, 16 December 2005 working on texts that are to be inputs for a revised draft ministerial text and circulated in the middle of the next day.
Day 5: Revised draft circulated, ministers comment, 17 December 2005
Ministers headed for another long night of negotiations after a revised draft ministerial declaration was circulated in the early afternoon of 17 December. At an evening informal meeting of the heads of delegations, they said the draft reflects further achievements since the original was forwarded from meetings in Geneva in November. They then got down to resolving remaining differences in the text.
Day 6: Ministers agree on declaration that ‘puts Round back on track’, 18 December 2005
Ministers from the WTO’s 149 member governments approved a declaration that many described as significant progress both since the July 2004 “package” and after six days of intensive negotiations in Hong Kong which the chairperson described as “working like a dog”.