Series - Correspondence and Reports of the Office of the Special Representative to the U.N. Organizations in Geneva Concerning Negotiation of General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) for the Uruguay Round

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT] - The Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiation... General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT] - The Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiation...

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-20

Title

Correspondence and Reports of the Office of the Special Representative to the U.N. Organizations in Geneva Concerning Negotiation of General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) for the Uruguay Round

Date(s)

  • 1952 - 1993 (predominant 1986 - 1993) (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

15.00 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Most of the records were maintained by Special Representatives Wolfgang Siebeck and Jean baneth who were also referred to as Directors of the Geneva office from 1986 to 1992. Baneth was succeeded by Pritta Sorsa in 1992. Beginning in 1987, the Geneva Office reported as SPRGE to the Senior Vice President, Policy Research and External Affairs (SVPRE). After the restructuring of the Policy, Planning, and Research Complex (PPR), the Geneva Office reported to the Senior Vice President, Policy, Planning and External Affairs (PRESV). As the GATT negotiations gained momentum, the Geneva Office was upgraded and transferred to the Front Office of PRESV, reporting as PREGE. Following the termination of all Senior Vice Presidencies in the Bank, the Geneva Office was transferred to the Front Office of DEC on December 12, 1991 and began reporting as DECGE to the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP).

The Uruguay Round, the eighth GATT multilateral trade negotiation, was launched in September 1986 in Punta del Este and was completed in 1994. This series includes correspondence with Headquarters of the Representatives and others designated as observers at various Trade Policy and GATT Council meetings. Subjects include: general progress of the Uruguay Round; development of a handbook on multilateral trade negotiations to support developing countries in the Uruguay Round; Bank participation in seminars and workshops to provide technical assistance and support to developing countries in the Uruguay Round; Bank access to country trade and tariff data; and arrangements for visits of the Director General and the Personnel Director of GATT to the Bank in Washington, DC.

With the correspondence are documents provided to the Special Representatives by the GATT Secretariat headquartered in Geneva including Trade Policy Review reports (1989 - 1993) documenting reviews of trade policies and practices by the GATT Council. Also included are documents furnished by the GATT Secretariat concerning acceptances(Protocol of Accession) to GATT of Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, and Nepal (1987 - 1992) and Romania, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Venezuela (1990 and 1992). Documents concerning the renegotiation of Terms of Accession for Poland (1991 - 1992) and working papers and notes of meetings at the Uruguay Round and the mid-term review of the Round completed in Geneva in 1989 were also furnished by the GATT Secretariat.

The Geneva Office continued to represent the Bank in the GATT negotiations in the Uruguay Round and in meetings of UNCTAD and other U.N. organizations at Geneva. As the Uruguay Round negotiations came to an end, the Geneva Office was closed on June 30, 1993. After the Geneva Office closed, its functions were provided through a combination of Geneva-based consultants and Headquarters staff sent to Geneva.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Records are arranged by subject.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to the World Bank Policy on Access to Information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English
  • French
  • Spanish

Script of material

Language and script notes

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Finding aids

An inventory list is available here.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

  • Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Reports to Bank Headquarters from Special Representatives to U.N. Organizations in Geneva (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-18); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Audit Reports Maintained in the Policy and Review Department (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-32); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Front Office Records Relating to the 1992 and 1998 Bank Reorganization (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-14); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Front Office Work Program and Budget Records for Fiscal Years 1993 - 1998 (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03 11); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Correspondence of the Directors, International Economics Department (IECDR) Concerning GATT and WTO (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-47).

  • See oral history of Jean Baneth.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

Disclosure status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

30 September 2011

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area