Hong Kong Outcomes: McKinnon Disappointed; Supports Engagement by Heads

"More needs to be done to address the special needs of poor countries and vulnerable small economies" - Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has expressed deep disappointment over the recently concluded World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in Hong Kong.

"While it is encouraging that the conference did not end in deadlock, as at Seattle and Cancun, it is still a matter of regret that the level of ambition displayed over the last week did not come anywhere close to what Commonwealth leaders urged at their summit in Malta only three weeks ago," said Mr McKinnon.

"Some progress has been made at Hong Kong. A deadline of 2013 has been set for the elimination of agricultural export subsidies; there is also some agreement on providing duty and quota-free access for 97 per cent of the exports of the poorest countries to the markets of the developed countries.

"Unfortunately, this comes nowhere near meeting the original target of reaching agreement on negotiating modalities for agricultural and manufactured products, and making concrete progress on negotiations for services, rules, trade facilitation and on the development dimension of the Doha Round.

"More needs to be done to address the special needs of poor countries and vulnerable small economies.

"It is extremely disappointing that the negotiations continue to be characterised by a 'business as usual', mercantilist approach. The reality is that the WTO's dynamics have changed and the Doha Round can no longer be concluded by the advanced countries; Europe, North America and Japan cannot hope to carve up a deal among themselves and thrust it on everyone else.

"We have come to a point where trade is now too big an issue to be left to trade negotiators and technocrats. Much greater strategic vision, statesmanship and political will is needed. There is no more room for soft options if a Development Round is not to remain an empty slogan.

"That is why I strongly support efforts by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to convene a summit of the leaders of the G8 and five key developing countries early next year.

"Through their recent Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade, Commonwealth leaders demonstrated that it is only at the highest political level that you can get the perspective to place trade negotiations in their proper context. Increased trading opportunities are not only the most potent weapon in the fight against poverty but they are also an important element in strategies to combat terrorism, illicit migration and drug trafficking.

"As the Commonwealth has demonstrated, the most difficult political decisions demand the engagement of Heads of Government. They now need to ensure that their trade negotiators come back with a meaningful agreement by the end of 2006 that delivers the development dimension everyone is looking for."

Note to Editors:

The full text of the Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade is available to download here