Commonwealth Calls for Follow up on Breakthrough in Doha Round

"Unless we begin to see real movement in the position of all members on agriculture, the rest of the WTO negotiating agenda will remain in a state of semi-suspension."

"The United States and European Union give the appearance of having breathed fresh life into the WTO trade talks. They have given a vitally important signal that a breakthrough in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations on agriculture is possible and even imminent. But if the appearance of a deal on agriculture is no more than a continuation of the posturing and inertia that have bedevilled the Doha Round so far, then the WTO talks run the fresh risk of collapsing from a lack of developing country confidence. During the next critical week at the WTO in Geneva, the developing world will be waiting and watching to see if there are genuine steps being taken by the US and EU," said Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon on 11 October 2005.

Mr McKinnon was commenting on announcements by the US and EU of their willingness to end trade-distorting measures in the agriculture sector, particularly farm subsidies. The Secretary-General was speaking on his arrival in Cameroon for an official visit.

"Not only are the US and EU appearing to talk seriously at long last about ridding global trade markets of unfair and distorting agricultural subsidies, there are specific percentages and dates being placed on the table. This is progress. Of course, it is easy to see these sorts of offers as posturing and even cynical manipulation of the negotiating agenda. That is all the more reason for both the US and EU not only to make their pledges but to implement them, to be seen to do so, and to address sensitive agriculture products such as cotton. Only the US and EU can provide the leadership required at this stage to deliver the development dividends envisaged in the Doha Round," stated Mr McKinnon.

"We need to fix the date for the elimination of agricultural export subsidies and set timetables for the removal of other trade-distorting subsidies and steep reductions in tariffs. It is important that the US and EU do not give with one hand and take away with the other by increasing other forms of agricultural support."

The Secretary-General urged all WTO parties to demonstrate the flexibility and ambition necessary to complete a breakthrough at the key WTO talks on agriculture commencing in Geneva on Tuesday, 18 October 2005.

"Unless we begin to see real movement in the position of all members on agriculture, the rest of the WTO negotiating agenda will remain in a state of semi-suspension. The breakthrough in the negotiating wall started by the US and EU needs to be carried through. Once the agriculture negotiations start to head in the direction of an ambitious outcome, the other areas of trade sensitivity and negotiation should start to fall into place.

"Now is the time for such progress -- if it is left until Hong Kong, it will be too late. The WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong is the end rather than the starting point in reaching agreement on negotiating modalities for agricultural and non-agricultural manufactured products, and for making concrete progress on negotiations in services, rules, trade facilitation and the development dimensions of the Round including special and differential treatment.

"I expect that the Commonwealth's 53 Heads of Government will give high level political impetus to the WTO trade talks, when they meet next month in Malta. The Commonwealth will also be adding further impetus from its collective membership with a meeting of Commonwealth Trade Ministers in Hong Kong on 12 December, the very eve of the WTO ministerial meeting," Mr McKinnon concluded.

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