The Ministers and Senior Officials of the G-20 and the coordinators of the G-33, the NAMA-11, the ACP Group, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the African Group, the Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), and the Cotton-4 met in Geneva on 15 November 2007 to review the situation in the Doha Round and to discuss ways to enhance coordination among developing country groups on issues of mutual interest.

They welcomed the engagement and solidarity demonstrated by developing country groups. They noted that developing-country coordination and contribution increased the efficiency and legitimacy of the negotiating process. Developing countries have shown an unprecedented level of participation in this Round. They are ready to continue playing an active role in the WTO commensurate with the growing importance of developing countries in international trade.

The Groups emphasized that the full integration of developing countries into the multilateral trading system will only be achieved if the WTO reflects their development needs and concerns. This is why the Doha mandate placed the needs of developing countries at the heart of the work programme. They recalled the central role of the agriculture negotiations. Most of the world’s farmers live in developing countries. They continue to be burdened by gigantic trade-distorting subsidies and prohibitive market access barriers in developed countries. Addressing these distortions effectively is the most important unfinished task in the WTO.

The Groups recalled that the development dimension of the Doha mandate calls for greater effort from the developed countries. Clarity about the actual contribution that will be made by developed countries will enable developing countries to do their part, in proportion to their capabilities and in line with the mandate. They also stressed that negotiations must ensure that there is a comparably high level of ambition in market access for agriculture and NAMA, to be achieved in a balanced and proportionate manner consistent with the principle of S&D.

The Groups noted that S&D is an integral horizontal component of the negotiations in all areas. They stressed the importance of flexibilities and other concerns in NAMA for industrial development in developing countries. They emphasized the vital role of SPs, in addressing the food security, rural development and livelihood concerns of developing countries, and of the SSM. Both shall be an integral part of the modalities and the outcome of negotiations in agriculture.

The Groups acknowledged the importance of the full implementation of the Hong Kong Ministerial Decision on Duty Free and Quota Free market access, the simplification of rules of origin and other issues raised by the LDCs. They underlined the need to address the interests and concerns of NFIDCs. They underscored the need to find adequate responses to the trade-related issues raised by the SVEs and recently acceded developing Members. They recognized the necessity of addressing the issue of tropical and alternative products according to the mandate. They recognized the importance of long-standing preferences and the need to address the different aspects of the issue of preference erosion. They highlighted that the issue of cotton must be addressed ambitiously, expeditiously and specifically in its trade-related and developments aspects, on the basis of the proposals submitted by the Cotton-4.

The Groups took note of the progress in the negotiations in Geneva. They emphasized that key issues remain unresolved and imbalances must be corrected. They underlined that the negotiation of full modalities requires texts that are balanced, complete and that derive from a multilateral, transparent and bottom-up approach.

The Groups reaffirmed their calls for concrete and effective action in honouring commitments made under the Aid for Trade Initiative which aims at, inter alia, building productive capacity and trade-related infrastructure and financing trade-related economic adjustment costs in keeping with the principle of additionality of financial resources and country-ownership of development strategies.

The Groups pledged to maintain the unity and cooperation among developing country groups. They reasserted their readiness to engage with other WTO Members with a view to achieving an outcome acceptable to all in the shortest possible time.

Source: Ministry of External Relations