DDA - STATE OF PLAY
Introduction to the DDA
• Launched at MC 4 in Doha, Qatar.
• Places needs & interests of developing
countries at centre
• Has mandate for negotiations under TNC
& other areas of work programme under
General Council
Principal elements of the DDA
• Doha Declaration (WT/MIN/(01)/DEC/1)
• 1 August 2004, General Council Decision
(WT/L/579)
• Hong Kong Declaration
(WT/MIN(05)/DEC)
Areas under negotiation
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Agriculture (including Cotton)
Services
Industrial products (NAMA)
TRIPS (multilateral system for registration &
notification of GIs)
WTO Rules (AD, Subsidies, RTAs)
Trade and Environment
Special and Differential Treatment
Trade Facilitation
DSU (outside Single-Undertaking)
Other areas of the DDA Work
Programme
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Electronic Commerce
Small Economies
Trade, Debt and Finance
Trade and Transfer of Technology
Technical Cooperation & Capacity Building
Least Developed Countries
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
GENERAL COUNCIL
TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
COMMITTEE - TNC
SPECIAL SESSIONS
DOHA ROUND
« DOHA DEVELOPMENT
AGENDA - DDA »
• Council For Trade In Services
• TRIPS Council
• Dispute Settlement Body
• Committee On Agriculture( SS on Cotton)
• Committee On Trade and Development
• Committee On Trade and Environment
NEGOTIATING GROUPS
• Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA)
• Rules
• Trade Facilitation
TNC IN SESSION
Negotiating Principles
• Single Undertaking- “nothing is agreed
until everything is agreed”: single package
with all Members participating: “Early
Harvest” possible
• Transparency and Inclusiveness
• Bottom-up approach
• Special & Differential Treatment for
developing countries to be fully taken into
account
DECISION MAKING
Consensus !
Some Milestones in the DDA
Negotiations
• 2003 Cancun setback
• 2004 July Framework Agreement
• 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting
• 2006 July DDA Suspension
• 2007 Resumption
Developments in 2008
• Year started well, with clear determination
to conclude talks in 2008
• Number of revised modalities texts in Ag
and NAMA issued: Feb, May, July, Dec.
• Cross-cutting negotiation required to
establish modalities – a negotiation across
both texts envisaged in Ag and NAMA
• Comfort in the other areas under the
Single Undertaking
July 2008
• About 30 Ministers in Geneva between 21-30 July to try
and build convergence towards establishing modalities in
Ag and NAMA
• Much hard work and progress made in the 10 days, but
Ministers, especially of G7 unable to bridge differences
• Convergence could not be found in the area of SSM;
sectorals. Cotton not even discussed
• Other issues: services; bananas; 3-TRIPS issues
• Unsuccessful meeting, but at July TNC, Members
express clear determination to press ahead
Other events in 2008
• New Chairs: NAMA and TRIPS
• Food crisis; global financial/economic crisis add
new importance and urgency to conclude Round
• Further efforts after July, e.g. G7 Senior Officials
meeting- progress but not enough
• Clear Round would not be concluded in 2008aiming for modalities by end of year
• Political impetus: Meetings of G20, APEC, LDCs
December 2008
• Political testing exercise: Sectorals, SSM, Cotton
• Political testing finds that overall, no significant
changes in positions
• But, technically, much progress made and
Members not far from agreement on issues
• In situation, a December ministerial meeting
would run a high risk of failure; Members faced
reality, Ministerial not called
Assumptions for work in the DDA in
2009
• There is a clear DDA mandate which
remains unchanged
• Ag and NAMA texts be preserved and
work should continue starting from them
• Work to continue to close remaining gaps
in Ag and NAMA, but also in other
negotiating areas based on work plans
outlined by Chairs at December TNC
• Early Harvest question
2009
• Since beginning of the year, work resumed in all
negotiating areas according to work plans by Chairs in
December
• New Agriculture Chairman: Amb. Walker (NZ)
• Several Members gone/going through political changes.
Still a lot of work to do across the board to prepare for
modalities
• Delegations recognise need to prepare everything, so
they are ready when moment is right for political
decisions
• Leaders underlined necessity to preserve and maintain
the integrity & openness of rules-based MTS and resist
protectionism/isolationism
Wider- WTO Front
• Trade-related developments in the context
of the global economic/ financial crisis (two
reports by DG Lamy)
• Trade Finance
• Aid for Trade: 2nd global review
• Other issues related to areas interfacing
with WTO
• Regular WTO Ministerial Conference
Looking Ahead
• Members aims not changed
• Goal, not only to consolidate progress
across the negotiations, but also to
strengthen the relevance of the WTO as a
system which is more than a forum for
negotiations
Looking Ahead
• DG Lamy “ DDA is the best stimulus
package”
• Concluding the Round remains the focus
of Members; but this endeavour takes
place within a more global portfolio of
WTO activities