The other item covered under the preparations for Cancun was the election of officers for the Ministerial. Mexico was elected the Chair of the Conference, with Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Egypt elected as Vice-Chairs.
Other issues covered on the first day related to the review of the Dispute Settlement Understanding. The original May 2003 deadline having been missed, it was agreed to extend the review till May 2004, with negotiations to continue on the basis of proposals submitted by members as well as the text submitted by the Chair.
A report was also submitted on the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund. Of the $22 million dollars target, $20.2 million have so far been pledged.
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