Committee on Agriculture
Special Session 26–28 March 2001 Seventh
Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture
Statement
by the Chairman on the first phase of the Negotiations on
Agriculture, Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales
This
meeting is the seventh Special Session and marks the end
of the first phase of the negotiations. As was agreed in
March last year at the first Special Session, we must now
take stock of the progress made so far in the
negotiations.
The
Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture and the related
commitments in each Member's WTO Schedule of commitments
were the first steps in a longer term reform process in
agricultural trade as recognized in the Preamble and
Article 20 of the Agreement. Article 20 required that the
negotiations on continuing the reform programme be
initiated one year before the end of the implementation
period.
For
the past twelve months the Committee on Agriculture
meeting in Special Session has been negotiating the
continuation of the reform process as required by Article
20 of the Agreement on Agriculture and in accordance with
the decision of the General Council in February 2000.
In
my view a great deal of progress has been achieved under
the work programme established in March last year for the
first phase of the negotiations. It is important of
course that this momentum is sustained into and
throughout the next phase of the negotiations.
In
all, 44 negotiating proposals and 3 technical papers have
been submitted by a total of 125 WTO Member countries
covering the different issues related to agriculture
trade that are of major and fundamental interest and
importance to the participating countries concerned. In
addition the Secretariat has made available 27 background
papers at the request of Members in order to facilitate
the negotiating process.
The
examination of these proposals and submissions has been
both detailed and intensive. This I am sure has
contributed to heightening our appreciation of the wide
range of interests involved, as well as the complexity of
many of the issues which will have to be addressed in
more detail in the next phase of the Article 20
negotiations.
In
a sense the first phase of the negotiations, although it
has involved a great deal of work in capitals and in the
Special Session meetings, has been relatively straight
forward. Its importance lies in the fact that the basic
positions of participants are now on the table. The next
phase will represent the beginning of a more challenging
process.
At
your request I have conducted extensive informal
consultations on how the second phase of the Article 20
negotiations should be structured and organized. I would
like to thank all delegations for their contributions and
assistance in this regard. I am encouraged to believe
that the draft work programme under consideration
constitutes a finely balanced basis for the next phase of
the negotiations.
I
would now like to open the floor for Members to make
their respective statements in the context of the
stock-taking exercise.
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