The 6th WTO Ministerial Conference concluded in Hong Kong on Sunday
with a Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration that Xinhua News Agency
yesterday said included tangible results from the six-day
negotiations.
After more than 100 hours' talks, the global trade
body's 149 members reached an agreement to eliminate all forms of
agricultural export subsidies by the end of 2013.
The declaration also said developed members will
eliminate all forms of export subsidies for cotton in 2006 and
implement duty-free and quota-free market access for all products
from the least-developed countries (LDC) by 2008.
Chairman of the conference John Tsang said at the
closing ceremony that the meeting had drawn up a "clear roadmap"
for further negotiations of the Doha Round.
He said the date and venue of the 7th WTO
Ministerial Conference will be determined by the WTO General
Council through consultations.
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said that thanks
to intensive work "meaningful" decisions have been made that put
the Doha Round back on track.
He also called for more "collective action" and
"new political energy" to conclude the negotiations by the end of
2006.
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Currently, 50 countries are identified by the UN as LDCs,
where per capita income is below US$750 a year.
Duty-free and quota-free market access will
stimulate LDCs exports, bringing them US$8 billion every year, said
UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul K. Chowdhury.??
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Xinhua said a number of developing members forged a
powerful alliance at the conference to fight for their own
interests in agriculture, non-agricultural market access and
service trade negotiations.
"For the first time in the WTO, a ministerial
meeting was held between all developing countries," said a joint
statement issued by the G20, the G33, African, Caribbean and
Pacific countries, LDCs, the African Group and Small Economies.
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The statement called for the removal of distortions
that "inhibit the export growth of developing countries" and
demanded an "adequate policy space" to ensure their sustainable
socioeconomic development.
The conference, which opened December 13, aimed to
advance the stalled Doha Round trade talks, which were launched in
the Qatari capital in November 2001.
More than 5,800 delegates, 3,200 journalists and
about 2,000 representatives from non-governmental organizations
attended it.
(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2005)
