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<title>WTO MEMBERS LAUNCH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ROUND</title>
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<p><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>November 14, 2001 <em>(2:45 p.m. EST)</em> No. 153</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>WTO MEMBERS LAUNCH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ROUND</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lyle Vanclief today
announced that the agenda for the next round of global trade negotiations promises to open up markets for
Canada, brighten the future of Canada's farmers and increase opportunities in the developing world.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The 142 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) closed six days of intense negotiations in Doha,
Qatar with an agreement to launch a new round of global trade negotiations to be concluded by January 1,
2005.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"We have met our objectives," said Minister Pettigrew. "The agenda for the next round of negotiations will
benefit Canadians and our economy. We are very proud that these negotiations will address the concerns of all
WTO members -- especially those from the developing world. This truly will be the growth and development
round that Canada has been seeking."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"We have achieved what we came to Doha for -- the launch of broad-based negotiations that will allow us to get
on with the job of negotiating a significant outcome in agriculture," said Minister Vanclief. "This is good news not
only for Canada, but also for countries engaged in agricultural production around the world."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">From Canada's perspective, the major highlights of today's final declaration are: </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• setting the level of ambition for agricultural negotiations which seek the reduction, with a view to the phasing
out, of all forms of agricultural export subsidies; substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support; and
substantial improvements in market access for producers around the world, which would allow Canadian
farmers to compete on an equal footing with their international competitors;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• placing the developing world "at the heart" of WTO negotiations with a package of measures aimed at
helping them to benefit from the global trading system and to adapt to WTO rules at a pace appropriate to their
development needs; and agreement not to proceed with negotiations on investment, competition, transparency
in government procurement and trade facilitation until the fifth Ministerial Conference in 2003, if there is an
explicit consensus on how to proceed;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• a recognition that WTO rules on intellectual property are flexible enough to allow countries to deal with their
public health problems and to promote access to medicines, a major concern of developing countries. The
declaration also recognizes that patent protection is important in the discovery of new and better medicines;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• negotiations on the reduction or elimination of tariffs on non-agricultural products, promising tangible benefits
to both Canadian exporters and developing countries;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• negotiations on anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing measures, which are relevant to some of
Canada's major trade disputes, such as softwood lumber;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• agreement that negotiations on services will continue under clear timelines, offering greater opportunities for
Canada's service exporters in emerging world markets. Canada, with all other WTO members, has once again
reaffirmed the right of countries to regulate the supply of services;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• negotiations on trade and the environment and a reaffirmation of the importance of sustainable development;</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• a commitment to make the WTO more transparent and open, reflecting long-standing Canadian proposals;
and</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">• approval of the protocols of accession for China and Chinese Taipei to join the WTO. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">A complete backgrounder can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's (DFAIT)
Web site at <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221041631/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/wto-back2-e.asp">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/wto-back2-e.asp</a>.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The WTO Declaration can be found on the WTO Web site at <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221041631/http://www-svca.wto-ministerial.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min01_e/min01_e.htm">http://www-svca.wto-ministerial.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min01_e/min01_e.htm</a> and on the DFAIT Trade Negotiations and
Agreements Web page at <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221041631/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/wto-e.asp">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/wto-e.asp</a>.</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial">- 30 -</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Sébastien Théberge</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister for International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 992-7332</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Donald Boulanger</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Press Secretary</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 759-1761</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 759-7972</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site:
<a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221041631/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a>.</font></p>
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