LACK OF DOHA ROUND PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTED AT ECOSOC
At a high level meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on 14 April, representatives from the WTO, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), met with finance ministers to discuss progress made on commitments established at last year’s Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey, Mexico. Participants at the ECOSOC meeting highlighted the uncertainty caused by the war in Iraq as well as the global economic slowdown as obstacles to implementing the Monterrey Consensus — an effort calling on governments, international institutions, and non-governmental participants to work closely together to produce a clear economic strategy to promote development and fulfil other commitments made in Monterrey. Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a message to the ECOSOC meeting, stressed that global development leads to both greater stability and security. He expressed his disappointment over missed negotiating deadlines in the WTO Doha round, especially with regard to access to essential medicines and agriculture, and urged developed countries to "dramatically reduce agricultural subsidies, without delay". Annan contended that this would help boost the world economy and put the Doha negotiations back on track.
The ECOSOC meeting followed the World Bank/IMF spring meetings, held from 12-13 April in Washington DC (see BRIDGES Weekly, 16 April 2003).
"War, weak economy shadow Monterrey follow-up," UN WIRE, 15 April 2003; "Annan urges developed countries to slash subsidies," UN NEWS SERVICE, 14 April 2003.
FTAA: NEGOTIATIONS PROGRESS, BRAZIL SIGNALS CAUTION
Trade negotiators from 34 countries in the Americas met in Puebla, Mexico during the second week of April for talks on the hemisphere-wide Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The negotiators at the FTAA trade negotiations committee (TNC) indicated that the talks have reached their "last stage," and an "architectural framework" for the FTAA is set to be discussed at the next meeting. The issues considered included market access, agriculture, and assistance to developing countries. With regard to market access, deputy US Trade Representative Peter Allgeier stressed that, "there is no product excluded from our offers, no agricultural product, no industrial product". The negotiating states provided their market access offers on 15 February 2003, and will provide counteroffers by 15 June.
On agriculture, the meeting issued guidance to the FTAA agriculture negotiating group negotiating to "intensify its discussions on all issues on its agenda, in particular those related to export subsidies and to all other practices that distort trade in agriculture products, including those that have an equivalent effect to agriculture export subsidies, without any exceptions and without prejudging the outcome". On technical assistance, Allgeier said assistance could take the form of quick tariff phase-outs, longer implementation timelines for developing countries, and other initiatives. On transparency, Clodoaldo Hugueney, Brazil’s Undersecretary General for Trade Issues noted that a series of meetings between government officials and civil society will be arranged. The FTAA TNC is also discussing the establishment of a permanent civil society committee once the FTAA is in place.
Following the Puebla meeting, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told a committee of Brazil’s Congress on April 23 that Brazil will seek to temper the pace of FTAA negotiations. The statement — the first delivered on the issue after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January — stressed the need for extended discussion across all sectors of society.
The next meeting of the body overseeing the FTAA negotiations will take place on 7 July in El Salvador. FTAA trade ministers will meet from 20- 21 November in Miami, and the negotiations are scheduled to conclude on 1 January 2005.
"Brazil Seeks to Slow Down Tempo Of FTAA Talks, Foreign Minister Says," INTERNATIONAL TRADE DAILY, 25 April 2003; "FTAA Talks Enter ‘Last Stage,’ Trade Officials Say After Meetings," INTERNATIONAL TRADE DAILY, 16 April 2003.