WTO Ministerial Section • Volume 7 • Number 13 • 10th April 2003
TNC Ponders Way Forward
The WTO Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) met in Geneva from 2-4 April, bringing together high-level officials from capitals. Many officials expressed disappointment with regard to the mounting number of missed negotiating deadlines in the Doha Round, including the most recent failure in the area of agriculture negotiations (see BRIDGES Weekly, 2 April 2003).In advance of the TNC meeting, TNC Chair/WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi had sent out three questions for consideration by delegates, on: how Members can show greater flexibility; what the keys are to moving forward; and how Cancun can become a success. Several of the officials arrived early in order to engage in discussions with their counterparts prior to the TNC.
Supachai stresses need to meet overall negotiating deadline
In his opening statement to the TNC, Supachai Panitchpakdi stressed the importance of completing the current round of negotiations by the 1 January 2005 deadline, commenting that this would secure the economic growth and development prospects for all Members, and would "make an irreplaceable contribution to achieving a more stable, more equitable — and ultimately more peaceful — world". He cautioned that too much unfinished business could lead to a heavy burden at the Ministerial in Cancun, and urged negotiators to resolve as many issues as possible in advance of the meeting.
Negotiations progress report
With regard to specific negotiating areas, Members acknowledged that four deadlines now have been missed, relating to: trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs) and access to essential medicines; implementation issues; special and differential treatment (S&D) for developing countries; and modalities for the agriculture negotiations.
On agriculture, technical and other consultations on a range of matters will continue at the WTO, with immediate effect, while larger political deals will need to be struck in the future.
In the area of services negotiations, the current "request-offer" phase for increasing market access is ongoing, and 14 countries have submitted their initial services offers (see BRIDGES Weekly, 2 April 2003). The US and Canada have indicated that their offers will be circulated as unrestricted documents, and other countries may follow their example.
The TRIPs Council special session has been focusing on a multilateral register for geographical indications (GIs) for wines and spirits, with positions remaining entrenched (see BRIDGES Weekly, 2 April 2003). These negotiations, now taking place informally, are to be completed by Cancun in the form of an "early harvest" in the overall negotiations, and WTO Director-General Supachai urged Members to work diligently to reach this goal.
The work on trade and environment, at the special session of the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE), is still at an early stage, with mainly procedural issues resolved. The CTE special session is currently in an analytical phase, considering specific trade obligations contained in multilateral environmental agreements (see BRIDGES Weekly, 19 February).
Two negotiating deadlines remain prior to Cancun, on non-agricultural market access and reform of the dispute settlement understanding (DSU), both at the end of May. No significant progress has been made in either area, and negotiators risk these deadlines slipping as well. The next negotiating session on market access is scheduled for 14-16 April, while the next special session on the DSU is taking place from 10-11 April.
Members express concern, question "development" round
During the gathering in Geneva, Members expressed their disappointment at the lack of progress in negotiations. However, some also said that after a series of failure, the time is ripe for "real" negotiations to begin. Some noted that Members have progressed more than during the initial stages of the Uruguay Round, which really got underway only in the third year. Others commented with concern that with eight areas of negation linked together, the potential for gridlock is high. On the question of the workload at Cancun, some countries cautioned against overburdening the agenda, whereas others said that it was the job of ministers to resolve issues that could not be resolved at the government official level.
Brazil commented that four major negotiating deadlines now have been missed, all in areas of great concern to developing countries. The Brazilian representative also said an early decision on agriculture was needed to restore confidence in the process. China emphasised the need to consider developing country concerns as a priority. Chile stressed that the most challenging part of the negotiations had yet to begin, and said ministers would need to cut the necessary political deals.
Romania and Switzerland called for a pragmatic and "realistic" approach, especially with regard to agriculture negotiations. Uruguay disagreed, calling for much more ambition in agriculture negotiations. Morocco, speaking for the Africa group, stressed agriculture as the key concern, especially on the continent with the highest percentage of people living on and of the land. India stressed S&D and implementation as keys to the Doha "development" agenda. The EC said there is no deadlock in the negotiations, and stressed that the single undertaking cannot be seen as a zero-sum game, as the outcome will be beneficial for all, and said negotiators must keep on moving. The EC also said it wants negotiating modalities on the Singapore issues — investment, government procurement, trade facilitation and competition policy — confirmed at Cancun.
The US said it wants to find a solution to the TRIPs and health issue by Cancun, and commented that governments and the pharmaceutical industry will have to work together in this regard.
In conclusion, Members seemed to agree that while negotiations are not completely deadlocked, a serious show of political will is required. Many developing countries indicated that they felt that the rich, developed countries should take the first steps, as they were the greatest users and beneficiaries of the world trading system.
Another TNC meeting involving high-level officials is planned for early June in Geneva.
ICTSD reporting.