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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Eyes on G6 for a Breakthrough on Tariff Reduction in the Doha Round

9 March 2006

The deadlock in international trade talks can be broken if Australia, Brazil, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States come up with an overall formula for worldwide reduction of tariffs on agricultural and industrial goods, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said today in advance of tomorrow's 'G6' Trade Ministers' meeting in London. The deadline set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for frameworks for the agreements on agriculture and industrial goods is 26 April.

"The world expects a breakthrough on the Doha Round multilateral trade negotiations, and high-level political impetus is essential to generate the momentum necessary to complete the Round by the end of this year. Time is running out - so we welcome this G6 meeting, and indeed its Geneva talks last week on agriculture. We wish it luck."

Commonwealth Heads of Government, in their November 2005 Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade, issued on the eve of the WTO Hong Kong summit, stressed the crucial importance of increased trading opportunities as the most potent means of combating global poverty. "All 53 Commonwealth countries - rich and poor and spanning every continent - reject the inequities of current multilateral trade agreements," said Mr McKinnon. "At tomorrow's G6, we know that the Commonwealth position will be heard."

The Valletta Commonwealth Statement stressed that a true development Round must include the following:

  • Duty and quota free market access for least developed countries
  • Generous aid for trade arrangements which address both supply side constraints and the need for adjustment support
  • Addressing the special needs of vulnerable small economies in all the negotiating areas
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