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Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
As you mentioned, I have been conducting some informal consultations under
your auspices to consider the technical issues related to negotiating
modalities for trade facilitation. I have chaired one discussion among a
group of about 38 interested delegations, a group that included many of the
proponents of negotiations on trade facilitation, as well as many members of
key groups – such as the “Core Group” of developing countries, the LDC
group, the African Group and the ACP Group. We will have another discussion
among this group tomorrow afternoon. I am also in the process of meeting
separately with key groups. I spoke to representatives of the “Colorado
Group” last week and I am meeting with the Core Group early next week. If
others are interested in discussing their views with me I am at their
disposal.
In these meetings I have repeatedly emphasized that our only mandate from
the General Council is to consider the technical issues, and that our
meetings cannot be a forum for considering the larger questions related to
the Singapore issues – namely the overall shape of a Singapore issues
outcome or the or the linkages between progress on Singapore issues and
progress in other areas. The ultimate decision on whether to proceed with
such negotiations would obviously be a matter for the General Council to
consider. In light of this very limited role for our consultations, I have
asked delegations to work together on a “what if” basis, to try to move
towards consensus on modalities on the assumption that there will be no
agreement on launching negotiations until all members are comfortable with
taking that decision as part of a broader package.
Based upon discussions thus far, I would merely make the following
observations:
First, I have noticed some evolution in the
positions of members since the December and February General Council
meetings which offers us the strong possibility — although not the
certainty — that we can resolve our differences over trade facilitation.
Second, several countries, both developing
and developed, actively support such negotiations, and have expressed
support for the modalities set forth in Annex E of the Derbez text.
Third — and this is critical — a substantial
number of members still have significant concerns and questions that they
feel must be clarified and addressed in order to enable them to agree to
the launching of negotiations. Many of these concerns are set forth in the
paper submitted by the Core Group of developing countries at Cancun in
September – [WT/MIN(03) /W/4 ]. These delegations still need a somewhat
clearer picture of what these negotiations aim to achieve and how the
burdens of assuming new obligations will be addressed. However, many
delegations have pointed out that this cannot entail a pre-negotiation of
all issues, as much has to be left to the negotiating process itself in
determining the details of an agreement. Fourth, while the delegations which have met
thus far have had a constructive and very cooperative discussion of these
issues, we will need to have a more systematic discussion — with full
transparency and contribution from all members — if we want to achieve
explicit consensus.
On the basis of these conclusions, Mr. Chairman, it would be my
recommendation that we aim for some open-ended meetings towards the third
week of May – perhaps right after the General Council – in order to
provide an opportunity to answer the full set of concerns being expressed
by members and to work on a modalities text. I choose that timing because
over the next few weeks key delegates will be absent from Geneva attending
ministerials — and in these ministerials the Singapore issues will be a
topic of discussion. So I do not think it is practicable to meet before
that time. In the interim, I would suggest that delegations work on
developing responses to the concerns raised by other members and prepare
themselves for a more systematic technical discussion of key issues which
have been identified.
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