Countdown Starts for WTO Ministers to Make Final Decision

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 13, 2001

Countdown Starts for WTO Ministers to Make Final Decision

After overcoming a major hurdle Monday, global trade ministers rushed into the final day of tough bargaining Tuesday in the hope of striking a deal on a comprehensive agenda for a new round of trade talks before the midnight deadline.

A U.S. senior official told reporters Tuesday morning that the resolution of the row over access to medicines underscored his prediction it is "doable" to set the agenda at the ongoing World Trade Organization conference.

Describing a revised draft declaration on the drugs issue as a "political" statement, he said the document doesn't change the existing Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.

The document dispels "apprehensions and fears" of developing countries over the TRIPS accord and at the same time recognizes the patent regime is "part of resolution", "not a problem", to public health crises related to HIV/AIDS and other pandemics.

The briefing was originally set for Monday night but rescheduled in the wake of the plane crash in New York.

As to the prospect of the overall meeting, he said the substantial progress on TRIPS gave a much-needed boost to confidence in the event and a deal would be clinched Tuesday if every member "takes the whole picture in mind."

But many developing countries seemed not to be in such a positive mood.

Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Murasoli Maran told Xinhua Tuesday that there have been no change in positions on agriculture, implementation and the so-called new issues (investment, competition, government procurement and labor standards). And he declined to predict the outcome of the meeting.

The European Union Monday found itself essentially alone in its opposition to a draft text on agriculture after its key allies, including South Korea, Japan and Norway, indicated that they would accept the language calling for an eventual phaseout of export subsidies.

Disagreements also persist on how environment should be dealt with in a final ministerial declaration, with the EU insisting future negotiations should cover various environmental issues.

Developing countries fear that negotiations on environment will eliminate any market access gained in agricultural concessions, leaving their net access unchanged.

Sizeable gaps also remain in negotiations on new issues, especially investment, as well as on the implementation of previous commitments.

Discussions on implementation pitted the United States and Canada against developing countries over the issue of textiles liberalization, or access to developed country textiles market. An Indian delegate stressed Monday that his country would not accept any statement on implementation if the textiles issue remain unresolved.

But much headway was made on rules regarding anti-dumping and fisheries subsidies, with the U.S. resistance to negotiations on anti-dumping slackening and the EU indicating willingness to consider fisheries issues in the WTO.

The meeting, scheduled to conclude Tuesday afternoon, looks set to be extended until midnight as chairman of the conference warned Monday a consensus be made on all issues by midnight Tuesday.