The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision making body of the WTO and the Ministerial Conferences of the WTO are mandated to be held once in every two years. The First Ministerial Conference of the WTO (which came into being in January 1995 as a successor to the GATT) was held in Singapore in December 1996; the Second Ministerial Conference in Geneva in May 1998; and the Third Ministerial Conference in Seattle in November-December 1999.

    The preparatory process of consultations for the Doha Ministerial Conference has been underway at the General Council of the WTO in Geneva and India has been participating actively in the preparatory process. To move the preparatory process forward for the Fourth Ministerial Conference, the Chairman, General Council of the WTO, released a Draft Ministerial Declaration (DMD) and the Draft Decision on Implementation-related Issues and Concerns on 26^th September, 2001. On 27^th October, 2001, the revised Draft Ministerial Declaration and a revised Draft Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns was issued by the General Council, along with a Draft Declaration on Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines (Public Health). India favours the strengthening of the rule-based multilateral trading system and believes that the success of the forthcoming Ministerial Conference is of utmost importance in further strengthening the multilateral trading system of the WTO. During the preparatory process, the developed countries have broadly sought to have a comprehensive agenda which would include negotiations on new subjects also. India has been emphasising that implementation issues of concern to the developing countries should be satisfactorily addressed and non-trade related issues should off the agenda for negotiations. The Doha Ministerial Conference should, therefore, address the work of resolution of Implementation-related concerns; assess the progress and give policy directions for the ongoing mandated negotiations on the WTO in agriculture and services and mandated reviews such as Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) and take up other stock taking and reviews including review of unfinished built-in agenda items of the Uruguay Round Marrakesh Agreement which had established the WTO.

    The government has taken all steps to involve the stakeholders in the WTO negotiations. The Commerce & Industry Minister has held a series of interactive sessions with all major political parties to discuss WTO issues. The state governments were also consulted in formulating India's position in the key areas such as agriculture. A series of Workshops with industry associations have been held to obtain the feedback from time to time. The Advisory Committee on International Trade consisting of experts, representatives of industry and civil society and other concerned Ministries have also met under the Chairmanship of the Minister to advise the government on key WTO issues. In the run up to Doha, India has articulated its concerns in various important fora and Shri Maran participated in the informal WTO Trade Ministers Meeting held in Mexico between 31^st August and 1^st September and in Singapore between 13^th and 14^th October, 2001. A number of initiatives have been taken to garner support of other developing and like-minded countries.