World Trade Organization (WTO)
Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference
Cancun, Mexico (September 10-14, 2003)
Summary of the WTO 5th Ministerial Conference
The WTO 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun ended without conclusion
on September 14, when Conference Chairman and Mexican Foreign Minister
Luis Ernesto Derbez determined that it would not be possible to
reach consensus across the agenda and closed the meeting. A short
statement was released reaffirming the Doha Declaration, indicating
that work must continue in Geneva, and calling on the General Council
to meet at Senior Officials level “no later than 15 December”.
The timing of the next Ministerial Conference was not confirmed.
The purpose of the Cancun meeting was to bring together Ministers
from all 146 Members to review progress on the Doha Development
Agenda, launched in November 2001. Canada's objectives in this round
of negotiations remain the same: fundamental agricultural trade
reform; improved market access for goods and services; improved
trade rules (anti-dumping, countervail and subsidies); and helping
developing countries to further integrate themselves into the global
trading system.
The WTO Membership also welcomed the accession of two new Members:
Cambodia and Nepal. Both newly acceded Members are Least Developed
Countries, and are the first LDCs to accede to the WTO.
While progress was made in some areas under negotiation, the atmosphere
of the Conference did not lend itself to consensus-building. Disagreement
in Cancun can best be explained by the significant gaps in the level
of ambition pursued by different Members. Differences over the development
of new rules on the ‘Singapore Issues’ (investment,
competition, trade facilitation, transparency in government procurement)
could not be overcome. Other factors also contributed to the inability
of Members to agree on direction for further progress in the Round:
differences on agriculture trade reform, a weak response to the
cotton initiative, and uncertainty of the ambition and flexibility
that would be provided in modalities for the non-agricultural market
access negotiations.
The role of the G-23 group of developing countries, led by Brazil,
influenced the dynamics in the negotiations at Cancun, as the group
effectively coordinated to develop a common position on agriculture.
Firmly divergent views remained throughout the conference, primarily
between the EC/US and the G-23 developing countries over agriculture.
African and Caribbean countries expressed strong opposition to launching
negotiations on any of the ‘new’ issues.
Procedural questions related to the format of the meeting, such
as transparency and access to information, were not a factor in
the suspension of discussions. The WTO held one of its most open
and transparent sessions to date, including regular media updates
and a full NGO program of activities. On Canada’s part, daily
briefings were held for all Canadian participants in Cancun. Interested
Canadians not participating in Cancun were invited to participate
in the briefings by teleconference or to view them by watching the
daily webcast on the Department’s website. The archived webcasts
can be viewed here.
Cancun can best be characterized as a missed opportunity to reduce
impediments to trade and to increase opportunities for producers
in all countries, especially those in developing countries.
While Canada is disappointed with the result, the experience of
the Cancun Ministerial Conference has provided greater clarity as
to where lie the most significant divergences among Members. These
insights will be evaluated and applied to the next phase of engagement
in Geneva. Canada remains committed to the multilateral system and
is prepared to re-engage in negotiations at such time that Members
feel a common ground can be reached.
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