EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Washington, DC 20508

August 15, 2003

INFORMATION CIRCULAR
5th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization
10-14 September 2003, Cancún, Mexico

This circular is intended for those persons attending the WTO Ministerial
Meeting in Cancún as representatives of non-government organizations
(including business, agriculture, labor, environmental, consumer, academic,
citizen or other organizations). The Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative, working closely with partner agencies of the U.S.
government, is planning a robust program of public outreach during the
Cancún WTO Ministerial. This memorandum is to update interested parties on
the program of public briefings and other important information related to
Cancún.

1. Entry Requirements for Mexico. The Government of Mexico has instituted
an important new requirement for entry into Mexico that concerns most people
who are participating in the Cancún Ministerial Conference. Please check
the website of the Mexican Organizing Committee at www.omc-mexico.org.mx or
the Cancún page of the WTO website at www.wto.org for additional
information. Most persons attending the Ministerial are required to visit a
Mexican Diplomatic or Consular mission in person to fill out an FM3
immigration form. For those in the Washington area, the Mexican consular
office is located at 2827 16th Street, NW, (202) 736-1000, and is open M-F
8:30am-11:00am. For those outside Washington, consult the nearest Mexican
consular office; a list is available at www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm. It
is our understanding that in addition to the FM3 immigration form, Mexican
consular officials will require a valid passport, 2 passport photos, a copy
of your letter of accreditation from the WTO, a letter from your NGO
verifying sponsorship, and a $99 consular/migratory fee. Processing takes
approximately 3 business days. For those attending the Ministerial as
official advisors to the U.S. delegation, a general letter of sponsorship
from USTR is available for downloading on the USTR secure website, under the
WTO section. We have also sent an official letter to the Mexican Embassy
(with a request that it be forwarded to all Mexican Consulates in the United
States) with a list of official advisors.

2. NGO Center. The center of activity for U.S.-based NGOs in Cancún will be
the Hotel Gran Caribe Real. This is also the principal hotel for members of
U.S. trade advisory committees who are accredited as official advisors to
the U.S. delegation (non-governmental advisors). If you require assistance
with a reservation at the Gran Caribe, please contact USTR’s Office of
Security and Administrative Services immediately at (202) 395-5123. Some
individuals have already contacted USTR. Facilities available at the Gran
Caribe include a briefing center, a limited number of conference rooms, and
a business center.

3. Access to the Gran Caribe. If you are not staying at the Gran Caribe and
plan to attend any events there, we strongly encourage you to allow
sufficient travel time to arrive at the hotel. Security will be extremely
tight, especially in the areas around the Convention Center.

4. Public Briefings. There will be a final pre-Cancún briefing on September
4, at 2:00 pm EDT, in Washington. The location will be provided in a
subsequent circular. In Mexico, USTR will conduct a daily briefing on the
status of negotiations at the Hotel Gran Caribe. The first such briefing
will be on Tuesday, September 9 at 4:00 pm Cancún time (Cancún is one hour
behind EDT), and is open to anyone credentialed as a U.S.-based NGO by the
World Trade Organization, and to those credentialed as official advisors to
the U.S. delegation. Due to space limitations, persons not holding one of
these two types of credentials will not be admitted to the briefing
facility. For the official list of U.S.-based NGOs accredited by the WTO,
see the Cancún main page at www.wto.org.

5. Teleconference Access and Webcasts. USTR will provide a listen-only
teleconference number for those not in Cancún wishing to hear the daily
public briefing; dial-in information will be provided in a subsequent
circular. We also plan to videotape the daily public briefing and post it
to www.ustr.gov and to other U.S. government websites.

6. Briefings for Cleared Advisors. USTR will conduct a confidential daily
briefing for cleared members of U.S. trade advisory committees in Cancún.
Information on these briefings will be sent to cleared advisors under
separate cover.

7. Message Board and Briefing Schedule. USTR will maintain a message board
at the Hotel Gran Caribe and will post daily notices of briefings and other
information for accredited NGOs and for cleared advisors. In addition, a
recorded message will be available daily, starting September 9, with
up-to-date information on scheduled briefings and other activities. The
phone number will be provided in a subsequent circular. For those that
already have contact information in Mexico, it would be helpful if you would
send it in an e-mail message with the subject line: “Cancún Contact Info”
to [email protected].

8. Non-Credentialed Persons. USTR cannot provide any assistance to persons
planning to go to Cancún who do not hold a valid credential from the World
Trade Organization or a credential as an official advisor to the U.S.
delegation, nor is USTR able to issue any additional credentials. We regret
that we cannot provide assistance to persons who missed the NGO registration
deadline or to family members who plan to travel with accredited NGO
delegates. Security at all venues in Cancún will be tight, and persons not
holding credentials will be barred from access to many areas.

9. Picking Up Credentials. Persons accredited as NGO delegates by the WTO,
or as official advisors to the U.S. delegation, should pick up their
credentials at the airport in Cancún. You will need to show your passport
to pick up your credential. There will be a credential kiosk at the airport
staffed from 6am-midnight daily, starting September 5th.

10. Accredited NGOs. A list of NGOs that have been accredited by the WTO to
attend the Cancún Ministerial Conference is available on the Cancún
Ministerial main page at www.wto.org. Only accredited representatives of
those NGOs listed as based in “USA” (as well as those accredited as official
advisors to the U.S. delegation) are eligible to attend the daily public
briefing at the Gran Caribe. USTR does not have information available on
where NGO delegates from other countries are staying in Cancún; those
interested in making contact with other NGO delegates in Cancún should
contact those organizations directly.

If you have questions, please contact Gabriel Pellathy on (202) 395-6120 or
via email at [email protected]. We are receiving an extraordinary volume
of inquiries, so please read this circular, and the website of the Mexican
Organizing Committee, carefully before contacting us. USTR is not able to
provide any waivers with regard to Mexico’s immigration and consular
requirements.