The G-20, the G-33, the NAMA-11, the ACP Group, the LDCs, the African Group, the Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), the CARICOM, and the Cotton-4

Geneva, 20 July 2008

The Ministers and Senior Officials of the G-20 and the coordinators of the G-33, the NAMA-11, the ACP Group, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the African Group, the Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), the CARICOM and the Cotton-4 met in Geneva on 20 July 2008 to review the situation in the Doha Round at this decisive moment and to enhance coordination among developing country groups on issues of mutual interest.

They stressed that developed countries must show leadership by indicating from the outset their readiness to fulfill the mandate for a Development Round. At the same time, they expressed their commitment to play a role in the negotiations and make a contribution in line with the development dimension of the mandate.

The Groups emphasized that the full integration of developing countries into the multilateral trading system will only be achieved if the WTO reflects their development needs and concerns. This is why the Doha mandate placed the needs of developing countries at the heart of the work program.

They also emphasized the central role of the agriculture negotiations in the Doha Development Agenda. Most of the world's farmers live in developing countries. They continue to be burdened by gigantic trade-distorting subsidies and prohibitive market access barriers in developed countries. Addressing these distortions effectively is the most important unfinished task in the WTO.

The Groups recalled that the development dimension of the Doha mandate calls for greater effort from the developing countries. They also stressed that negotiations must ensure that there is a comparably high level of ambition in market access for agriculture and NAMA, to be achieved in a balanced and proportionate manner consistent with the principle of S&D.

Although Agriculture and NAMA are the central elements of negotiations this week, they emphasized the importance of the overall balance in the DDA and of meaningful development-oriented results in other areas.

The Groups noted that S&D is an integral horizontal component of the negotiations in all areas. They stressed the importance of less than full reciprocity in reduction commitments, flexibilities and other concerns in NAMA for industrial development in developing countries. They emphasized the vital role of SPs, in addressing the food security, rural development and
livelihood concerns of developing countries, and of the SSM.

The Groups acknowledged the importance of the full implementation of the Hong Kong Ministerial Decision on Duty Free and Quota Free market access, the simplification of rules of origin and other issues raised by the LDCs. They underlined the need to address the interests and concerns of NFIDCs.

They underscored the need to find adequate responses to the trade-related issues raised by the SVEs. They also underlined that the particular concerns of recently acceded developing Members must be effectively addressed. They recognized the necessity of addressing the issue of tropical and alternative products according to the mandate. They also recognized the mandate on long-standing preferences and the need to address the different aspects of the issue of preference erosion. They highlighted that the issue of cotton must be addressed ambitiously, expeditiously and specifically in its trade-related and developments aspects, on the basis of the proposals submitted by the Cotton-4.

The Groups pledged to maintain the unity and cooperation among developing country groups. They committed themselves to work constructively so as to reach full modalities in Agriculture by the end of this week. They underlined the need for a truly multilateral, transparent, and bottom-up process. They reaffirmed the common objective to ensure an outcome that delivers on the development dimension of the Doha Round.