DOHA AGENDA SHOULD FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT
ISSUES
INDIA
COMMITTED TO PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS
India has said that
the focus of the WTO negotiations currently underway should be
on development issues as reflected on the Doha Work Programme,
while underlining its commitment to progress in the current negotiations.
Expressing concern over lack of meaningful progress on any of
the development related issues such as Implementation Issues,
Special & Differential (S&D) Treatment, TRIPs & Public
Health, India has said that it looks forward to substantial results
in these areas before Cancun, including the unresolved issue of
low or insufficient manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical
sector, the great human problem affecting millions of people in
the poorest parts of the world for which a multilaterally agreed
solution would have to be found. "For many developing countries,
success of Cancun is predicated upon successful resolution of
these key developmental issues", Shri S.N. Menon, Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in statements made on
behalf of India at the informal and formal sessions of the WTO’s
Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) held at the level of capital-based
officials in Geneva on 2nd and 4th April,
2003 respectively.
Regarding negotiations
on agriculture, India has said that it attaches the highest priority
to S&D provisions and looks forward to early discussions on
such crucial concepts as Sanitary & Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) and
Special Safeguard Measures (SSM), as early resolution of these
issues would be for India a major component of the results of
the negotiations on agriculture, while noting the lack of balance
in the progress of negotiations as well as the missed deadline
so far. On non-agricultural market access, Shri Menon said that
India was keenly looking forward to engaging constructively in
further discussions in the Negotiating Group on Market Access
in the light of the proposal which has already been put forward
by India in line with the Doha mandate. "For India and for many
other developing countries, we expect an outcome that fully factors
in the financial and developmental needs of developing countries,
the concept of less than full reciprocity and emphasis on market
access for products of export interest to developing and least
developed countries. We are working closely with other developing
and least developed countries in this area and are looking forward
to the Chairman’s proposals, which, we are sure, will put development
at the centre stage…. On services, we believe that there will
be progress on the basis of the momentum that is being generated
by the request and offer process and the bilateral negotiations
thereof", the statement said.
On Singapore Issues,
India reiterated that further expansion of the agenda would be
unproductive. "Even as it is, we are struggling with the existing
agreements, as evidenced by the fact that we have not been able
to meet any of the deadlines decided upon by the Ministers at
Doha", the statement said. Referring to the contours of decisions
to be taken at Cancun, it said: "It is extremely difficult at
this point of time to envisage the shape of things as it would
emerge during the next few months. Much would depend upon our
ability to complete the work in respect of the issues for which
deadlines have already been laid down, including those that we
have missed. This again would depend on strong political commitment.
I would also urge you, Mr. Chairman, to decide, in consultation
with Heads of Delegations here at Geneva, how you can make the
meetings of the Trade Negotiations Committee more productive and
purposeful".
