Media releases
Los Cabos, Thursday 24 October 2002 - MVT133/2002
Cairns Group Delivers Strong Message to WTO
Trade Minister Mark Vaile yesterday delivered a strong message to
the WTO Agriculture Negotiations Group Chair, urging him to come forward
with an ambitious reform proposal on agriculture.
Mr Vaile, speaking from Los Cabos where he is attending the APEC
Ministerial Meeting said to date only the Cairns Group, the United
States, China and a number of developing countries had submitted agricultural
negotiating proposals for consideration.
"The Cairns Group wants agricultural trade reform that will deliver
real benefits to all in agriculture, rather than just a few," Mr Vaile
said.
"We do not want a repeat of the Uruguay Round where the big players
win and the little players lose."
"Yesterday, as Cairns Group Chair, I delivered a letter to Mr Harbinson
and WTO Director General Dr Supachai on behalf of the seventeen Cairns
Group members following last weekend's meeting in Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
that sets out our views on the next phase of the WTO agriculture negotiations.
"In Bolivia ministers expressed their concern and frustration that
some major participants in the negotiations have so far refused to
engage on specific proposals that have been put on the table in the
WTO by the Cairns Group, China, the United States and a number of
developing countries.
"For the negotiating position to be based on anything other than
concrete proposals received would not be in the best interests of
real reform in agriculture.
"I told Mr Harbinson and Dr Supachai that counter-suggestions and
positions tabled by the EU and Japan, lacked both ambition and specificity
and fell way short of the mandate for reform agreed by all Members
of the WTO in Doha in November last year.
"Mr Harbinson proposes to circulate an overview paper in mid December
on the agricultural negotiations and it is crucial that his paper
outlines options for reform advanced by the Cairns Group and which
genuinely meet the Doha mandate."
Mr Vaile said the WTO Agriculture Group Chair was planning to release
his first draft of a negotiating plan in early February. This so
called 'modalities' plan is scheduled to be finalised by the end of
March next year and will help to determine the shape of the final
outcome to the agricultural negotiations.
"The recent Cairns Group meeting in Bolivia underscored the importance
to developing countries of a strong outcome on agriculture. If there
is to be an outcome to the Doha Development Round in January 2005
there needs to real reform in agriculture."
Media Contact: Mark Croxford +61 02 6277 7420
Local Date:
Friday, 05-Dec-2008 13:32:32 EST
