53. Memorandum of Conversation0
SUBJECT
- Matters to come before 13th GATT Session
PARTICIPANTS
- Mr. Eric Wyndham White, Executive Secretary of the GATT1
- W—Mr. Dillon
- E—Mr. Beale
- OT—Mr. Frank
- OT—Emerson M. Brown
Matters of special interest that will come before the 13th Session and which were discussed at the meeting with Mr. Wyndham White on September 11, 1958, are as follows:
[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]
Polish Accession to the GATT— Mr. Wyndham White considered it important that the GATT be recognized as the principal international trade forum, and he saw political advantages for the West in making a positive response to requests from countries in eastern Europe for association with the GATT. With this in mind he had worked out a proposal [Page 139] for associate participation in the GATT. This would take the form of a contract of association, subject to the approval of two-thirds of the contracting parties, which would provide for support of the general objectives of the GATT and procedures for consultation and conciliation of disputes. Associate participants would have no votes, and thus would have no control over the agenda of meetings.
Mr. Wyndham White pointed out that this kind of association would have no legal or contractual obligations. He thought that it would be the best way of dealing with the Polish bid for accession, since it would bring the Poles into association with the GATT without obligating GATT countries to grant most-favored-nation treatment to Poland, or limiting their freedom to withdraw such treatment. He said that association in this way would also be suited to the situations of Yugoslavia, Argentina and Mexico.
- Source: Department of State, EE Files: Lot 67 D 238, GATT July 1–Dec. 31, 1958. Official Use Only. Drafted by Brown.↩
- Wyndham White was in Washington September 10–12 to discuss with Department of State officials GATT matters to be brought before the 13th session, which met in Geneva October 16–November 22.↩