Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 12 • Number 43 • 17th December 2008

Falconer to Remain in Geneva as Chair of WTO Ag Talks

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The chair of the WTO’s agriculture trade talks, New Zealand’s Crawford Falconer, has been invited to stay on in Geneva in a ‘special role’ as Ambassador to the WTO Doha negotiations, despite the end of his official term this December, the New Zealand Government announced on Tuesday.

Falconer had been due to return to Wellington at the year’s end to take up a post as deputy secretary for trade in the foreign ministry.

“As Chair of the WTO Agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Falconer’s contribution has been of crucial importance,” New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said in an official statement. “A number of WTO members, including at ministerial level, have expressed strong hope that he would be able to remain in that position in Geneva,” he said.

Groser explained that the request was made in the hopes that, by retaining his mediatory position, momentum in the Doha negotiations will be maintained – particularly after the cancellation of a much-hyped but ultimately unrealised mid-December WTO ministerial meeting.

Falconer also chairs the WTO panel charged with investigating the long-running aircraft subsidies dispute between the EU’s Airbus and the US’ Boeing.

Groser said that Dr David Walker will replace Ambassador Falconer as New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the WTO in January. Walker was responsible for negotiating New Zealand’s free trade deal with China – the first such deal between China and a developed nation.

ICTSD reporting; “WTO Farm mediator to stay on in Geneva,” REUTERS, 16 December 2008.