Decision 296/TTg

DECISION No.296-TTg OF MAY 7, 1997 TO SET UP THE GOVERNMENT DELEGATION FOR NEGOTIATION ON JOINING THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to Article 20 of the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;

At the proposals of the Minister of Trade (Official Dispatch No.1414-TM/DB of April 3, 1997), and of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Official Dispatch No.462-NG/KT of April 14, 1997),

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To set up the Government Delegation for Negotiation on Joining the World Trade Organization- WTO (Delegation for Negotiation for short) to prepare and conduct Vietnam’s negotiations for Vietnam to join the World Trade Organization- WTO.

Article 2.- The Delegation for Negotiation has the following tasks:

1. To assume the main responsibility in summing up and elaborating strategies and plans for negotiating Vietnam’s joining the WTO and submit them to the Prime Minister for ratification before the official negotiation start.

2. To organize negotiations at differrent levels and in different areas within the WTO framework on the basis of the strategies and plans for negotiation already ratified by the Prime Minister.

3. To coordinate the WTO-related activities of the concerned ministries and branches so as to meet the negotiation’s requirements; to coordinate with these agencies in applying the negotiation’s results in accordance with its compentence; to submit to the Prime Minister for decision issues beyond its competence.

4. To perform other tasks assigned by the Prime Minister.

Article 3.-

1. The Delegation for Negotiationhas a Head, a number of deputy heads and members.

- The Head of the Delegation shall be a Vice Minister of Trade recommended by the Minister of Trade and nominated by the Prime Minister.

- The Deputy Heads shall be department-level representatives of the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, who shall be decided by the Minister of Trade and the Minister for Foreign Affairs after consulting the Delegation Head.

- The standing members include representatives of the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Office of the Government.

- Basing himself on the tasks and contents of negotiations in each period, the Head of the Delegation shall request the concerned ministries and branches to appoint their representatives to join the Delegation.

2. The assisting apparatus of the Delegation for Negotiation includes the specialized Departments of the Ministry of Trade that shall take responsibility for coordinating with the inter-ministerial work team in catering for the Delegation’s activities.

3. The concerned ministries and branches shall set up divisions specialized in WTO affairs and appoint qualified officials to join the Delegation for Negotiation.

Article 4.- The operating fund of the Delegation for Negotiation shall be allocated by the State budget through the annual fund for operation of the Ministry of Trade and shall have its own cost-accounting regime.

Article 5.- The regulation on the operation of the Delegation for Negotiation shall be decided by the Delegation Head on the basis of suggestions made by the concerned ministries and branches.

Article 6.- This Decision takes effect from the date of its signing.

The Minister of Trade, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister-Chairman of the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel, the Ministers, the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the Heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the Presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to implement this Decision.

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

TRAN DUC LUONG