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 The idea of a global system of trade preferences among developing countries received its first political expression at the 1976 ministerial meeting of the Group of 77 in Mexico City and was further developed at ministerial meetings in Arusha (1979) and Caracas (1981).
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In 1982, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 in New York defined the basic components of the Agreement, established a framework for negotiations and formed the GSTP Negotiating Committee open to members of the Group of 77. Preparatory work on the GSTP was carried out in Geneva.
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In 1985, the New Delhi ministerial meeting provided further impetus to the negotiations in Geneva. The Ministers recognized the need for a framework that provided a legal foundation of rules for mutually beneficial trade expansion among developing countries on a continuing basis.
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In 1986, the GSTP Negotiating Committee met at ministerial level in Brasilia and launched the First Round of exchanges of concessions. It also adopted the Agreement as a provisional legal framework for the First Round, pending its signature and entry into force.
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In 1988, the ministerial meeting of the GSTP Negotiating Committee in Belgrade adopted the text of the Agreement, noted the conclusion of the First Round of negotiations launched in Brasilia and urged signatories to ratify the Agreement expeditiously. The Committee also envisaged a new round of negotiations. In 1989, the Agreement entered into force.
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In 1992, Ministers launched the Second Round of negotiations in Tehran. The negotiations were concluded in 1998. Colombia, Morocco, Myanmar and Venezuela acceded to the Agreement.
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Following a comprehensive review of the operations of the Agreement since 1989, the Committee of Participants met at ministerial level in São Paulo in June 2004 and launched the Third Round of negotiations. |
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