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 Doha Declaration (WT/MIN/(01)/DEC/1) 1 August 2004, General Council Decision (WT/L/579) Hong Kong Declaration (WT/MIN(05)/DEC)

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)

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

DOHA ROUND « DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA - DDA » 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 NEGOTIATING GROUPS Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) Rules Trade Facilitation MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE

TNC IN SESSION

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

DECISION MAKING Consensus !

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

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

July 2008 About 30 Ministers in Geneva between 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

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 aiming for modalities by end of year Political impetus: Meetings of G20, APEC, LDCs

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

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

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

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: 2 nd global review Other issues related to areas interfacing with WTO Regular WTO Ministerial Conference

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

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