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DDA - STATE OF PLAY

DDA - STATE OF PLAY. Introduction to the DDA. Launched at MC 4 in Doha, Qatar. Places needs & interests of developing countries at centre Has mandate for negotiations under TNC & other areas of work programme under General Council. Principal elements of the DDA.

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DDA - STATE OF PLAY

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  1. DDA - STATE OF PLAY

  2. Introduction to the DDA • Launched at MC 4 in Doha, Qatar. • Places needs & interests of developing countries at centre • Has mandate for negotiations under TNC & other areas of work programme under General Council

  3. Principal elements of the DDA • Doha Declaration (WT/MIN/(01)/DEC/1) • 1 August 2004, General Council Decision (WT/L/579) • Hong Kong Declaration (WT/MIN(05)/DEC)

  4. Areas under negotiation • Agriculture (including Cotton) • Services • Industrial products (NAMA) • TRIPS (multilateral system for registration & notification of GIs) • WTO Rules (AD, Subsidies, RTAs) • Trade and Environment • Special and Differential Treatment • Trade Facilitation • DSU (outside Single-Undertaking)

  5. Other areas of the DDA Work Programme • Electronic Commerce • Small Economies • Trade, Debt and Finance • Trade and Transfer of Technology • Technical Cooperation & Capacity Building • Least Developed Countries

  6. MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE GENERAL COUNCIL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE - TNC • SPECIAL SESSIONS • Council For Trade In Services • TRIPS Council • Dispute Settlement Body • Committee On Agriculture( SS on Cotton) • Committee On Trade and Development • Committee On Trade and Environment DOHA ROUND « DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA - DDA » • NEGOTIATING GROUPS • Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) • Rules • Trade Facilitation

  7. TNC IN SESSION

  8. Negotiating Principles • Single Undertaking- “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”: single package with all Members participating: “Early Harvest” possible • Transparency and Inclusiveness • Bottom-up approach • Special & Differential Treatment for developing countries to be fully taken into account

  9. DECISIONMAKING Consensus !

  10. Some Milestones in the DDA Negotiations • 2003 Cancun setback • 2004 July Framework Agreement • 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting • 2006 July DDA Suspension • 2007 Resumption

  11. Developments in 2008 • Year started well, with clear determination to conclude talks in 2008 • Number of revised modalities texts in Ag and NAMA issued: Feb, May, July, Dec. • Cross-cutting negotiation required to establish modalities – a negotiation across both texts envisaged in Ag and NAMA • Comfort in the other areas under the Single Undertaking

  12. July 2008 • About 30 Ministers in Geneva between 21-30 July to try and build convergence towards establishing modalities in Ag and NAMA • Much hard work and progress made in the 10 days, but Ministers, especially of G7 unable to bridge differences • Convergence could not be found in the area of SSM; sectorals. Cotton not even discussed • Other issues: services; bananas; 3-TRIPS issues • Unsuccessful meeting, but at July TNC, Members express clear determination to press ahead

  13. Other events in 2008 • New Chairs: NAMA and TRIPS • Food crisis; global financial/economic crisis add new importance and urgency to conclude Round • Further efforts after July, e.g. G7 Senior Officials meeting- progress but not enough • Clear Round would not be concluded in 2008- aiming for modalities by end of year • Political impetus: Meetings of G20, APEC, LDCs

  14. December 2008 • Political testing exercise: Sectorals, SSM, Cotton • Political testing finds that overall, no significant changes in positions • But, technically, much progress made and Members not far from agreement on issues • In situation, a December ministerial meeting would run a high risk of failure; Members faced reality, Ministerial not called

  15. Assumptions for work in the DDA in 2009 • There is a clear DDA mandate which remains unchanged • Ag and NAMA texts be preserved and work should continue starting from them • Work to continue to close remaining gaps in Ag and NAMA, but also in other negotiating areas based on work plans outlined by Chairs at December TNC • Early Harvest question

  16. 2009 • Since beginning of the year, work resumed in all negotiating areas according to work plans by Chairs in December • New Agriculture Chairman: Amb. Walker (NZ) • Several Members gone/going through political changes. Still a lot of work to do across the board to prepare for modalities • Delegations recognise need to prepare everything, so they are ready when moment is right for political decisions • Leaders underlined necessity to preserve and maintain the integrity & openness of rules-based MTS and resist protectionism/isolationism

  17. Wider- WTO Front • Trade-related developments in the context of the global economic/ financial crisis (two reports by DG Lamy) • Trade Finance • Aid for Trade: 2nd global review • Other issues related to areas interfacing with WTO • Regular WTO Ministerial Conference

  18. Looking Ahead • Members aims not changed • Goal, not only to consolidate progress across the negotiations, but also to strengthen the relevance of the WTO as a system which is more than a forum for negotiations

  19. Looking Ahead • DG Lamy “ DDA is the best stimulus package” • Concluding the Round remains the focus of Members; but this endeavour takes place within a more global portfolio of WTO activities

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