another political - corporate move to take over the internet. another
good reason to get on with it. meet you soon in orange.
--
J. Baptista Planet Communications & Computing Facility
Voice/Fax (212) 894-3704 ext. 1033
http://www.pccf.net/
On Mon, 29 Nov 1999, Richard J. Sexton wrote:
> Could somebody translate this into English ?
>
>
> >>PREPARATIONS FOR THE 1999 MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
> >>Electronic Commerce
> >>Communication from Canada
> >>
> >> The following communication, dated 23 September 1999, has been
> >> received
> >>from the Permanent Mission of Canada.
> >>
> >>_______________
> >>
> >>
> >>1. The following proposal is presented by Canada for consideration in
> >>the preparatory processfor the Seattle Ministerial meeting. The
> >>non-paper distributed by Canada at the Council for Trade in Services on
> >>19 July 1999, entitled Global Electronic Commerce: A Canadian
> >>Perspective, provides background material to this proposal.
> >>
> >>
> >> Proposal
> >>
> >>2. That, as part of the recommendations on electronic commerce to the
> >>Seattle Ministerial:
> >>
> >>- Members agree to extend their current practice of not imposing customs
> >>duties on electronic transmissions; this commitment will be reviewed at
> >>the next Ministerial meeting, taking into account the progress of
> >>negotiating groups and/or WTO bodies.
> >>
> >>- Members agree that the electronic delivery of services falls within
> >>the scope of the GATS, since the Agreement applies to all services
> >>regardless of the means by which they are delivered. Measures affecting
> >>services supplied by electronic means are measures affecting trade in
> >>services and would therefore be covered by GATS obligations.
> >>
> >>- Members agree that the supply of services by electronic means is
> >>permitted by specific commitments unless a Member's schedule states
> >>otherwise.
> >>
> >>- Members agree that all GATS provisions, whether relating to general
> >>obligations or specific commitments, are applicable to the supply of
> >>services through electronic means.
> >>
> >>- Members agree that the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement apply to
> >>electronic commerce, and that the effective implementation of this
> >>Agreement will facilitate electronic commerce.
> >>
> >>- Members agree that the following issues should be included in the work
> >>conducted in WTO bodies and negotiating groups in relation to electronic
> >>commerce:
> >>
> >> - indefinite extension of the current practice of not
> >> imposing customs
> >>duties on electronic transmissions;
> >>
> >> - clarification of the distinction between the GATS modes
> >> of supply in
> >>situations where a service is being supplied by electronic means;
> >>
> >> - classification and scheduling of new services related to
> >> electronic
> >>commerce which are not already included in the Central Product
> >>Classification (CPC);
> >>
> >> - classification of electronic transmissions with a physical
> >>equivalent;
> >>
> >> - the adequate protection of intellectual property works in
> >> the digital
> >>world;
> >>
> >> - benefits of electronic commerce for developing countries
> >> and ways of
> >>enhancing their participation;
> >>
> >> - the application of the provisions of the Annex on
> >>Telecommunicationsregarding access to and use of public
> >>telecommunications transport networks and services to the supply of all
> >>services included in a Member's schedule;
> >>
> >> - the application of the provisions of the GATS Reference
> >> Paper on
> >>Basic Telecommunications to basic telecoms services relevant to
> >>e-commerce;
> >>
> >> - identification of specific issues arising from domestic
> >> regulation
> >>affecting electronic commerce.
> >>
> >> - Members agree to establish an Experts Committee on Electronic
> >>Commerce, a horizontal non-negotiating group to advise and inform the
> >>work conducted in WTO bodies and negotiating groups in relation to
> >>electronic commerce.
> >>
> >>Background
> >>
> >>3. Electronic commerce is increasingly global and can reinforce the
> >>trend towards tradeliberalization. It requires an open, predictable,
> >>and transparent trading environment which operates across territorial
> >>borders and jurisdictions. International cooperation is essential to
> >>creating such a trading environment and to optimizing the social and
> >>economic potential of electronic commerce, both by creating the enabling
> >>conditions for electronic business to take place on a transnational
> >>basis and by removing barriers or impediments to electronic commerce.
> >>
> >>4. The Work Programme on Electronic Commerce executed over the past year
> >>has beensuccessful in bringing to the forefront the trade-related
> >>aspects of electronic commerce, and highlighting the issues which must
> >>be considered within each WTO body as part of ongoing work. For
> >>example, Members have noted that while information technology in
> >>general, and e-commerce in particular, could be instrumental in the
> >>multilateral trading system, steps should be taken to ensure that
> >>e-commerce does not remain beyond the reach of many developing
> >>countries. Narrowing the gap between developing and developed countries
> >>is both important and urgent and will be beneficial to all Members.
> >>
> >>5. The Work Programme has resulted in consensus on some issues, as
> >>described above; it is evident however that further dialogue is
> >>necessary to develop a fuller understanding of what is needed to both
> >>enable global electronic commerce and reduce impediments to trade.
> >>Given the varying stages of adoption of electronic commerce, its
> >>underlying technologies, and the development of national approaches
> >>among Members, the creation of a forum for the discussion of
> >>trade-related aspects of electronic commerce in a non-negotiating
> >>context will contribute to the development of truly global electronic
> >>commerce.
> >>
> >>6. Given the nature of electronic commerce, including the rapidly
> >>evolving technology associated with electronic commerce, a WTO Experts
> >>Committee on Electronic Commerce, consisting of representatives from all
> >>interested WTO Member governments, should consider ways in which it can
> >>draw upon expertise from outside government using processes similar to
> >>those of other WTO bodies.
> >>
> >>__________
> >>--
> >>James Love / Director, Consumer Project on Technology
> >>http://www.cptech.org / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
> >>voice 202.387.8030 / fax 202.234.5176
> >
> >Respectfully,
> >
> >Jay Fenello,
> >New Media Relations
> >------------------------------------
> >http://www.fenello.com 770-392-9480
> >
> >"We are creating the most significant new jurisdiction
> >we've known since the Louisiana purchase, yet we are
> >building it just outside the constitution's review."
> > -- Larry Lessig, Harvard Law School, on ICANN
> >
> >
>
> --
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ** The US has the best government money can buy **
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