Trade Ministers' Personal Commitment to Break WTO Impasse
The 12th Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) has concluded with ministers issuing a statement calling for urgent action on specific issues that are critical for breaking the impasse in the current round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.
The "MRT Stand-Alone Statement on the Doha Development Agenda" is specific in affirming APEC Trade Ministers' support for utilizing the "Swiss formula" in calculating tariff reductions for improving market access for non-agricultural goods. Ministers stated their support for the use of two ambitious coefficients applying to developed and developing Members which they anticipate will deliver real and meaningful improvements to market access and ensure the benefits of the DDA are shared by all economies.
On enhancing market access for agricultural goods, Ministers have agreed to make effective cuts to trade-distorting domestic support and to the elimination of all forms of export subsidies by 2013.
Chair of the Ministerial Meeting, Viet Nam's Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen, welcomed the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting that he said will provide significant political momentum to help the WTO conclude the current round of trade negotiations.
"APEC Ministers representing around half of global trade flows have made a very personal commitment to break the impasse at the WTO and conclude DDA negotiations," Minister Truong said at the end of the ministerial meeting.
"APEC is a barometer for the broader WTO membership in that APEC Member Economies represent a diverse spectrum of interests and levels of economic development. We hope our commitment here today provides the impetus to conclude the DDA and share the benefits of a stronger global multilateral trading system."
During their two day meeting Ministers also covered a number of other issues that are important for the achievement of APEC's free trade and investment goals and the ongoing economic health of the region.
This includes the strong support and endorsement by Ministers for the structure of the Action Plan to Implement the Busan Roadmap towards the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies. In this regard, Ministers instructed Senior Officials to intensify efforts to develop a strong, balanced and concrete action plan for endorsement at the next APEC Ministers' Meeting.
Ministers also addressed APEC work on averting a serious crisis in the event of an Avian Influenza pandemic, measures to ensure that new free trade agreements are transparent and of high quality and direction to domestic government officials to deal with counterfeiting and intellectual property rights piracy.
Ministers called for the strengthening of capacity to deal with the potential of an influenza pandemic that is part of the 'APEC Initiative on Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic.'
"Next week a regional simulation exercise will take place that will test the emergency responses and communication channels among APEC Member Economies in the event of a pandemic," Minister Truong said.
"Ministers look forward to the success of this exercise in ensuring the preparedness of APEC to deal with any future pandemic."
The growth of new Free Trade Arrangements and Regional Trade Agreements was also discussed. Ministers and government officials have been instructed to continue with work to develop useful model measures on FTAs/RTAs that will be presented to APEC Ministers and Leaders for endorsement in November 2006.
Ministers also called on Member Economies to continue their work on two additional model guidelines to strengthen APEC's work to counter the production and trafficking of counterfeit and pirated products.
These include measures to ensure that supply chains are free of counterfeit and pirated goods as well as the development of model guidelines for effective IPR public awareness campaigns.
The two day ministerial meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City and included input from the Director General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, and representatives from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) as official observer organizations to the APEC Process.
The next ministerial level meeting to be held as part of APEC 2006 Viet Nam will be the 13th APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting in Ha Noi on September 4-8.