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UNCTAD
Secretary-General Rubens Ricupero and International Trade Centre
Executive Director Denis Belisle offered their full support to WTO
Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi in his efforts to bring about a
timely, balanced and productive outcome to the Doha Development Agenda
round of trade negotiations. All three agreed that it was vital for
WTO member governments to meet short term and intermediate deadlines
in these negotiations if the talks were to conclude on schedule by 1 January 2005.
The
three leaders agreed their agencies could make an important
contribution to a successful conclusion of these talks through
intensive cooperation in assisting developing countries to better
participate in these negotiations through technical assistance,
private sector awareness programmes and more extensive exchange of
database information.
The
three agreed that they would meet at head of agency level twice
annually while their senior officials would hold meetings more
regularly to ensure closer co-ordination of programmes at the three
organizations.
Dr.
Supachai stressed his commitment to greater coherence between the
three organizations in these areas as well as in common research
projects related to issues included in the Doha Agenda.
“These
are very difficult and uncertain times and the only way I see to move
forward is to move forward together. I don't want this round of
negotiations to be call the Doha Development Agenda for nothing. We
will need real substance in these talks and I look forward to the
important contributions of ITC and UNCTAD in making this a truly
successful round which will bring benefits to all members,” Dr.
Supachai said.
Currently,
a disagreement between WTO member governments over the status of
international organizations in the Doha talks has prevented UNCTAD and
ITC from observing the negotiating sessions of the relevant WTO
bodies. Dr. Supachai told his counterparts he would continue to work
towards finding a solution that would bring observer status to these
two organizations and others. |
