World Trade Organization (WTO)
Current Negotiations
Informal Meeting of Trade Ministers held in Mombasa, Kenya
Representatives from approximately thirty countries met in Mombasa,
Kenya to review the state-of-play in the WTO negotiations and renew
their commitment to continued progress leading up to the sixth WTO
Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China, which will be held from
December 13-18, 2005. Canada was represented at the meeting by Ambassador
Donald Stephenson, Canada’s permanent representative to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva. While WTO informal ministerial
meetings are not decision-making forums, they provide opportunities
to lend political guidance and momentum to the negotiations on the
road to the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in December.
Ambassador Stephenson noted that it was significant that this meeting
took place in Africa with a strong representation of Ministers from
African nations. “I think it sent an important signal about
the importance of engagement by Africa, and the acknowledgement
by other countries of the concerns of Africa.”
International Trade Minister Jim Peterson said that “the
meeting was further evidence of the WTO membership’s commitment
to trade and development issues. It reinforced the need to keep
bringing the yardsticks forward for the world – especially
developing countries – to benefit.” He also noted Canada’s
commitment to the negotiations, which remain essential to open up
new markets globally for our manufactured and agricultural goods,
and for the products and services of our knowledge-based economy.
Canada will continue to promote an approach to trade reform that
will better integrate developing countries into the world trading
system while delivering benefits for all WTO Members. Canada is
seeking an outcome that would provide commercially significant market
access for goods and services traders, level the playing field for
our farmers, and cut red tape at the border while improving trade
rules.
Canada’s priorities at this meeting were to continue to push
for progress in the Round, reach a common understanding on key issues
for the road ahead, and ensure focussed discussions on issues of
concern to developing countries.
The talks that took place in Kenya renewed international political
commitment to the Doha Round. There was sufficient political consensus
that WTO Members are aiming for an ambitious outcome to the Round,
one that provides commercially meaningful market access opportunities.
Ministers agreed that Members should aim for specific rules and
commitments (modalities) for the Hong Kong WTO Ministerial Conference
in December, and that we should stick to a target of producing a
“first approximation” of these by July, 2005. Furthermore,
development themes and issues were given special attention during
discussions on the core negotiating areas such as agriculture (including
cotton), non-agricultural market access, and services.
Representatives from the following countries also attended the
meeting: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, China,
Costa Rica, Egypt,
European Union (EU), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan,
Kenya (host), Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan,
Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania,
United States, and Zambia. WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi
and the Chairs of most of the negotiating groups were also in attendance.
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