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Doha work programme — key dates for 2006

Below are key dates and deadlines set out in the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration (WT/MIN(05)/DEC). In each case, a reference is provided to the relevant paragraph in the declaration.

This list does not in any way reinterpret or modify the decisions taken by ministers at Hong Kong and is without prejudice to the positions of participants on any issue under the Doha Development Agenda.

Issues
> negotiations launched at Doha
> agriculture
> cotton
> NAMA negotiations
> services negotiations
> trade facilitation negotiations
> dispute settlement
> environment negotiations
> intellectual property
> rules negotiations
> regional agreements
> small economies
> special and differential treatment
> implementation
> integrated framework
> aid for trade

The work programme

Negotiations launched at Doha     back to top

• Conclude negotiations successfully in 2006. (paragraph 1)

Agriculture negotiations     back to top

• Establish modalities no later than 30 April 2006. (paragraph 10)

• Complete disciplines on export credits, export credit guarantees or insurance programmes, exporting state trading enterprises and food aid by 30 April 2006 as part of modalities. (paragraph 6)

• Date (2013) for elimination of all forms of export subsidies, together with agreed progressivity and parallelism, to be confirmed only upon completion of modalities. (paragraph 6)

• Submit comprehensive draft Schedules based on modalities no later than 31 July 2006. (paragraph 10)

Cotton     back to top

• All forms of export subsidies for cotton to be eliminated by developed countries in 2006. (paragraph 11)

• Director-General to furnish updates on development assistance aspects, at appropriate intervals, to General Council. (paragraph 12)

Non-agricultural market access negotiations     back to top

• Establish modalities no later than 30 April 2006. (paragraph 23)

• Submit comprehensive draft Schedules based on modalities no later than 31 July 2006. (paragraph 23)

Services negotiations     back to top

• Any outstanding initial offers shall be submitted as soon as possible. (Annex C, paragraph 11(a))

• Submission of plurilateral requests by Groups of Members by 28 February 2006 or as soon as possible thereafter. (Annex C, paragraph 11(b))

• Members to strive to complete requirements in 9(a) (develop appropriate mechanisms for according special priority including to sectors and modes of supply of interest to LDCs) before (31 July 2006). (Annex C, paragraph 11(e))

• Second round of revised offers to be submitted by 31 July 2006. (Annex C, paragraph 11(c))

• Final draft schedules of commitments shall be submitted by 31 October 2006. (Annex C, paragraph 11(d))

Trade facilitation negotiations     back to top

• Members to be mindful of overall deadline for finishing negotiations and resulting need to move into focussed drafting mode early enough after Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong so as to allow for timely conclusion of text-based negotiations on all aspects of mandate. (Annex E, paragraph 4)

DSU negotiations     back to top

• Special Session to continue to work towards rapid conclusion of negotiations. (paragraph 34)

Environment negotiations     back to top

• Members to intensify the negotiations, without prejudging their outcome, on all parts of paragraph 31 to fulfil the mandate. (paragraph 30)

• Members to complete work expeditiously under paragraph 31 (iii). (paragraph 32)

TRIPS negotiations     back to top

• Intensify negotiations in order to complete them within the overall time-frame for the conclusion of the negotiations (in 2006). (paragraph 29)

Rules negotiations     back to top

Antidumping, subsidies and countervailing measures, including fisheries subsidies

• Participants promptly to undertake further detailed work on disciplines on subsidies in fisheries sector. (Annex D, section I, paragraph 9)

• Group to complete process of analysing proposals by participants as soon as possible. (Annex D, section I, paragraph 10, AD/SCM)

• Chairman to prepare, early enough to assure timely outcome within context of 2006 end date for DDA, consolidated texts of Anti Dumping and Subsidies and Countervailing Measures agreements that shall be the basis for final stage of negotiations. (Annex D, section I, paragraph 11)

  
  
Regional trade agreements     back to top

• Negotiating group to intensify efforts to resolve outstanding issues, with a view to provisional decision on regional trade agreements transparency by 30 April 2006. (Annex D, section II, paragraph 2)

• Negotiating group to intensify negotiations, based on text proposals as soon as possible, so as to arrive at appropriate outcomes by end 2006. (Annex D, section II, paragraph 3)

Small economies     back to top

• Committee on Trade and Development to continue work in Dedicated Session and to monitor progress of small economies’ proposals in negotiating and other bodies, with aim of providing responses to trade-related issues of small economies as soon as possible but no later than 31 December 2006. (paragraph 41)

S&D     back to top

• Members to notify implementation of schemes adopted under decision every year to Committee on Trade and Development. (Annex F – 36, Decision on Measures in Favour of Least-Developed Countries)

• CTD to conduct a review on an annual basis of all steps taken by Members to provide duty-free and quota free market access for all products originating from Least-Developed Countries. (Annex F – 36, Decision on Measures in Favour of Least-Developed Countries)

• Committee on Trade and Development in Special Session to expeditiously complete review of all outstanding Agreement-specific proposals and report to General Council, with clear recommendations for decision, by December 2006. (paragraph 36)

• WTO bodies and negotiating groups to which Category II proposals referred to expeditiously complete consideration of proposals and report periodically to General Council, with objective of ensuring that clear recommendations for decision are made no later than December 2006. (paragraph 37)

• Special Session to report on all other outstanding issues on regular basis to General Council. (paragraph 38)

Implementation     back to top

• Director-General to report to each regular meeting of Trade Negotiation Committee and General Council; Council to review progress and take any appropriate action no later than 31 July 2006. (paragraph 39)

Integrated Framework     back to top

• Task Force to provide recommendations to Integrated Framework Steering Committee (IFSC) by April 2006. (paragraph 49)

• Enhanced Integrated Framework to enter into force no later than 31 December 2006. (paragraph 49)

Aid for Trade     back to top

• Director-General to create Task Force; Task Force to provide recommendations to General Council by July 2006. (paragraph 57)

• DG to hold consultations and report to General Council on appropriate mechanisms to increase financial resources for Aid for Trade. (paragraph 57)