Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 7 • Number 38 • 13th November 2003
Harbinson Quits As WTO AG Negotiations Chair
Stuart Harbinson announced on 6 November that he intends to give up the chairmanship of the special (negotiating) session of the WTO Committee on Agriculture (CoA). Harbinson, formerly the permanent representative of Hong Kong, China to the WTO, was chosen by WTO Members in February 2002 to chair the CoA special session. As former Chair of the WTO General Council, Harbinson was considered the mastermind behind the successful facilitation of a draft outlining a new agriculture negotiating mandate, adopted by Members in 2001 at Doha. Harbinson subsequently assumed the post of WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi’s chief of staff in September 2002. Explaining his — not fully unexpected — decision, he stated that as Members were now entering a new phase in the agriculture negotiations, "I think a new chairperson may be better able to bring the fresh perspective which we now need". Looking back at his 18-month term as agriculture chair he made clear that he had "no regrets" but that it was "now time for someone else to take up the banner." In announcing his decision, Harbinson said however that he recognised the need for continuity, and that he would remain in his post until a successor was selected. According to trade sources, there have been no discussions yet on Harbinson’s successor, let alone on serious candidates for taking on his job. Sources further indicated that there is an understanding among Members that with Harbinson giving up his post, all current chairs should in principle be replaced. However, some key Members would like to preserve the option to keep some of the chairs, or even rotating some of the chair positions, sources reported.
ICTSD reporting; "Agriculture: Harbinson resigns as Chairman of WTO agriculture negotiations," WTO REPORTER, 7 November 2003.