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Media Release
Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile
5 October 2001 / MVT141
WTO Ministerial Conference - Australian Position Paper
Trade Minister Mark Vaile welcomed the release today of the Australian Government's position paper for the 4th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar on 9-13 November.
"The Government's position for the Doha meeting has been developed following extensive consultations with state governments, industry and community groups, including public hearings in all capital cities and receipt of 70 submissions from the public," Mr Vaile said.
"The central feature of Australia's position for Doha is strong support for the launch of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. As a medium-sized nation, Australian jobs and living standards depend more than ever on how well we perform in the global marketplace. That's why we support a strong market access focus in the negotiations including services, industrial products and of course agriculture."
Mr Vaile said that following the recent terrorist attacks the case for a round was now even stronger.
"Given the potential negative impact of an already slowing global economy, the launch of a new round at Doha is of even greater importance. For Australia, a 50 per cent reduction in protection globally would deliver an economic boost of more than $A7 billion per year. Developing countries also stand to benefit with global gains from a further 50 per cent cut in agricultural support alone likely to amount to an additional $53 billion in global GDP," Mr Vaile said.
"The Government remains committed to ensuring the views and aspirations of all Australians are reflected in the approach we take to the WTO.
"The public consultation program that I launched in April this year in preparation for Doha has delivered a wide range of views on WTO issues, and has assisted greatly in the development of how we approached defining our position on an increasingly complex international trade agenda.
"Should a round be launched at Doha, the Government is committed to thorough and ongoing consultation during the negotiations."
The position paper (attached) is also available by contacting Belinda Dradrach, on (02) 6261 3197 or on the DFAT website www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/ministerial/aus_position.html
Contact: James Baker (Ministerial) 02 6277 7420 / Nicole Guihot (Departmental) 02 6261 1555
Local Date: Friday, 05-Dec-2008 13:22:20 EST