Sections:
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial in Hong Kong –
Managing our expectations for a successful Round
12 December 2005
It is that crucial time again where the most important round of trade
negotiations are taking place determining the conclusion to the
World Trade
Organisation (WTO) Doha
Development agenda (DDA). Four years ago in Doha the ‘Development’ Round of
world trade talks was launched. This week in Hong Kong Ministers will meet again
for the sixth Ministerial conference to agree a set of trade rules which should
put the concerns of developing countries at the heart of negotiations.
Goals
This meeting represents a very important opportunity to make a significant contribution to reducing global poverty. If we want to generate economic growth and raise the quality of living standards across the world, an ambitious outcome is essential and we do not want a repeat of the failure of Cancun. So what are we pressing for at Hong Kong?
There are different strands to the WTO negotiations, the main ones are: agriculture, industrial goods and services. Across all of these we want to see increased market access for developing countries through cuts in tariffs, an end date for all forms of export support and significant cuts in trade distorting domestic support. We also want to see market opening in services in sectors of interest to developing countries - for instance in health, construction, tourism related services', banking and financial markets. Throughout all negotiations developing countries must be given appropriate flexibility to adjust to trade reforms at a pace that suits them, so called 'special and differential treatment' in WTO terms.
Partners
To ensure that the concerns of developing countries are not sidelined DFID has
been working with the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),
Department for
Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and
HM Treasury (HMT) in lobbying for a set of measures to
address the concerns of the poorest group of countries in the WTO the G90.
Read the letter by Hilary Benn to the Financial Times 'In order to make poverty history, we must make trade work for the poorest'.
See recent speeches by Hilary Benn on Making Globalisation work for Bangladesh and How Can We Get Trade Justice.
Download a free copy of
Trade matters
(1.7
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