ACP Trade Ministers Say No to Doha Conclusion at Nairobi Ministerial

Following a two-day meeting in Brussels, Belgium, trade ministers from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries adopted a declaration outlining their positions ahead of the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference, which is due to be held in Nairobi this December.

“The ACP Group must work vigorously for the WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi to be a success. Part of the ACP strategy for the Ministerial is to safeguard continuation of the Doha Development Agenda [DDA] post-Nairobi, “said ACP Secretary General Patrick Gomes.

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, who attended the meeting and provided an overview of the negotiations, told ministers that “despite these very intensive efforts on all of the core DDA issues, I must report that – apart from in a few specific areas – little progress has been made.”

“We will not successfully conclude the DDA in Nairobi,” he added.

While expressing certain reservations on securing substantial outcomes on the DDA core issues, Azevêdo outlined nonetheless that convergence may be possible in other areas, such as export competition in agriculture, issues relating to least developed countries (LDCs) and development, as well as  transparency provisions on anti-dumping and fisheries subsidies.

“Our members in Geneva have put forward proposals that have been recognised but are not yet included in the so called mini-package,” said Joshua Setipa, Minister of Trade and Industry of Lesotho, while acknowledging that “the road ahead is foggy.” 

Small and vulnerable economies

The ACP Group includes several small and vulnerable economies. In this context, ministers have urged WTO members to address meaningfully and substantially the structural disadvantages and vulnerabilities that SVEs face.

While no official sub-category exist for SVEs at the global trade body, it is generally acknowledged that these countries are particularly vulnerable to economic uncertainties and environmental shocks.

The SVE Group submitted its own contribution for inclusion into a potential post-Bali work programme earlier this year.

WTO accessions

The recent accession of the Seychelles and the completion of the accession negotiations by Liberia were both praised by the ACP Group in its declaration, which also calls for the implementation of the 2012 WTO General Council decision that revised the accession guidelines for least developed countries.