Media Release

Wednesday, 17 December 2003 / MVT95/2003

A Step Towards Putting the Doha Round Back on Track

Members of the World Trade Organization have made an important step towards putting the Doha Round back on track, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today. 

Mr Vaile was speaking after senior officials from the WTO’s 148 members met in Geneva to consider what action was necessary to move the Doha Round forward, as requested by Ministers at the conclusion of their meeting in Cancun in September.  This General Council meeting followed intensive discussions over the last few months to bridge the differences over key outstanding issues emerging from Cancun.

“This meeting was more about process than negotiations, but the progress in identifying issues reconfirmed WTO members’commitment to the Doha round agenda,” Mr Vaile said.  “But no major breakthrough has been achieved, and there are still significant gaps remaining on a number of key areas.”

Mr Vaile welcomed the work undertaken since Cancun by WTO General Council Chair Perez del Castillo, working with WTO Director-General Supachai, on the critical issues which need to be addressed to move the round forward.

“Importantly, Members have accepted the proposal from Castillo that the Doha round negotiating groups, suspended at Cancun, will be reactivated in the new year.  Some further intensive consultations will be required before then on key issues.  But this gives us a way forward.”

“I also agree with much of the Chair’s analysis of what needs to be done on issues such as agriculture and industrial market access.  His confirmation of the central role of agriculture and the need for high ambition in this area is very appropriate and correct”.

Mr Vaile noted that Australia had called on all WTO members to show the necessary commitment and flexibility to get the Doha round moving.  “In particular, this means greater flexibility and leadership from the major agriculture subsidisers, the EU, the US and Japan.  We will be working closely with our Cairns Group colleagues and others calling for reform.”

Mr Vaile said that the challenges faced in advancing the negotiations were very substantial but that the rewards of success, and the costs of failure, meant that Australia would remain fully committed to the round and to taking a leading role.

Contact:  Matthew Doman (02) 6277 7420