Lamy calls for “serious reflection” on next steps
30 Jul 2008
Director-General Pascal Lamy reported to a formal meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee on 30 July 2008 that “we were close to finalizing modalities in agriculture and non-agriculture market access...but we were not able to find convergence in the area of Special Safeguard Mechanism”. He said the substantial progress achieved in the past days should be preserved and urged members to look forward “to how we can do better next time, and I am convinced there will be a next time”.
At our informal meeting yesterday, I reported on the events of the last few days. That report will be put on the record of this meeting, and I will not repeat it but just highlight a few points.
There is no escaping the fact that the intensive efforts the whole membership has been putting in over the last days with the aim of establishing modalities in Agriculture and NAMA have failed. Members have been unable to bridge their differences despite more than a week of hard work.
Much has been achieved this week. We were very close to finalizing modalities in Agriculture and NAMA. A very few issues, which had not been there, led us not to establish modalities, but a huge amount of problems which had remained intractable for years have found solutions. Negotiators have been prepared to reach out beyond their entrenched positions and seek compromise, which they did. However, as I explained in detail in my statement yesterday, we were not able to find convergence in the area of the Special Safeguard Mechanism. And we did not even get around to discussing Cotton. As a result we have not been able to establish the Agriculture and NAMA modalities this week.
Yesterday, I outlined what this could cost the membership. I am sure you have all done the analysis for yourselves. I trust that Members will resolve together not to lose these benefits, even if it takes longer.
You all know the value of what is on the table, not only in Agriculture and NAMA, but across the whole range of the agenda, whether in Services, the fastest growing and most dynamic sector in most economies, or in Trade Facilitation, just to take two examples.
Over the past few weeks, the Chairs of the Negotiating Groups have circulated reports on the state of play in their respective areas including reflections on the way forward. The Agriculture and NAMA Chairs will also shortly be circulating reports capturing the work of the last few days. We are working on this.
Overall, the Chairs reports underline the breadth and depth of the progress we have made right across the Single Undertaking. The reports also show the wide and deep range of benefits that this Round can provide — two to three times more than any previous multilateral negotiation, and I have not changed my number on that. My own sense is that we need to build on this, and your own sense of whether you believe we need to build on this is the determining factor.
We can also clearly see progress in other areas, such as the Dispute Settlement negotiations and S&D. Good work has also been accomplished over the past few days in the area of TRIPS thanks to the very good process which Jonas Støre led and the constructive spirit of delegations. I would also like to highlight the Services Signalling Conference which was held on 26 July. My report on this Conference will be circulated later today.
I think we all now need to engage in serious reflection on the next steps in our collective endeavour which is the Doha Development Agenda. I believe we have a collective responsibility to begin this process of reflection right now.
Perhaps the dust needs to settle a bit before we can have a clear idea of those next steps. But my view is that the progress we have made in Agriculture and NAMA and in all the other Groups should be preserved. This represents thousands of hours of negotiation and serious poltical investment by all the Members of the WTO. This should not be wasted.
Read More...
Source: WTO News
There is no escaping the fact that the intensive efforts the whole membership has been putting in over the last days with the aim of establishing modalities in Agriculture and NAMA have failed. Members have been unable to bridge their differences despite more than a week of hard work.
Much has been achieved this week. We were very close to finalizing modalities in Agriculture and NAMA. A very few issues, which had not been there, led us not to establish modalities, but a huge amount of problems which had remained intractable for years have found solutions. Negotiators have been prepared to reach out beyond their entrenched positions and seek compromise, which they did. However, as I explained in detail in my statement yesterday, we were not able to find convergence in the area of the Special Safeguard Mechanism. And we did not even get around to discussing Cotton. As a result we have not been able to establish the Agriculture and NAMA modalities this week.
Yesterday, I outlined what this could cost the membership. I am sure you have all done the analysis for yourselves. I trust that Members will resolve together not to lose these benefits, even if it takes longer.
You all know the value of what is on the table, not only in Agriculture and NAMA, but across the whole range of the agenda, whether in Services, the fastest growing and most dynamic sector in most economies, or in Trade Facilitation, just to take two examples.
Over the past few weeks, the Chairs of the Negotiating Groups have circulated reports on the state of play in their respective areas including reflections on the way forward. The Agriculture and NAMA Chairs will also shortly be circulating reports capturing the work of the last few days. We are working on this.
Overall, the Chairs reports underline the breadth and depth of the progress we have made right across the Single Undertaking. The reports also show the wide and deep range of benefits that this Round can provide — two to three times more than any previous multilateral negotiation, and I have not changed my number on that. My own sense is that we need to build on this, and your own sense of whether you believe we need to build on this is the determining factor.
We can also clearly see progress in other areas, such as the Dispute Settlement negotiations and S&D. Good work has also been accomplished over the past few days in the area of TRIPS thanks to the very good process which Jonas Støre led and the constructive spirit of delegations. I would also like to highlight the Services Signalling Conference which was held on 26 July. My report on this Conference will be circulated later today.
I think we all now need to engage in serious reflection on the next steps in our collective endeavour which is the Doha Development Agenda. I believe we have a collective responsibility to begin this process of reflection right now.
Perhaps the dust needs to settle a bit before we can have a clear idea of those next steps. But my view is that the progress we have made in Agriculture and NAMA and in all the other Groups should be preserved. This represents thousands of hours of negotiation and serious poltical investment by all the Members of the WTO. This should not be wasted.
Read More...
Source: WTO News
