TRIPS &
Public Health
| The WTO agenda welcomed the decision on implementation of paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. [Para 6 relates to the provision of "compulsory licences" which has been approved by the WTO prior to the Cancun meeting.] |
| Agriculture negotiations | The WTO agenda reaffirmed its commitment to the mandate on agriculture made at the Doha Ministerial Declaration. It took note of the progress made by the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture in this regard and agreed to intensify work to translate the Doha objectives into reform modalities. To this end, it adopted the framework concerning the further commitments on key outstanding issues on market access, export competition and domestic support as the basis for concluding the work in these areas. It directed the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture to conclude its work on establishing modalities for further commitments, including provisions for special and differential treatment. |
| NAMA negotiations | The WTO agenda reaffirmed its commitment to the mandate for negotiations on market access for non-agricultural products as set out in the Doha Ministerial Declaration. It took note of the progress made by the Negotiating Group on Market Access in this regard and agreed to intensify work to translate the Doha objectives into modalities for these negotiations. To this end, it adopted the framework for modalities for negotiations on non-agricultural products. |
| Services negotiations | The WTO agenda is committed to intensifying its efforts to bring the negotiations on specific commitments to conclusion. With a view to providing effective market access to all members, due regard should be given to the quality of offers, particularly in sectors and modes of supply of export interest to developing countries. It reaffirmed that the negotiations shall aim to achieve progressively higher levels of liberalisation with no a priori exclusion of any service sector or mode of supply and shall give special attention to sectors and modes of supply of export interest to developing countries. |
| Rules negotiations | The WTO agenda instructed the Negotiating Group on Rules to accelerate its work on anti-dumping and subsidies and countervailing measures, including fisheries subsidies, with a view to shifting its emphasis from identifying issues to seeking solutions. It noted the progress that had been made in the negotiations on improving transparency in Regional Trade Agreements and encourage the group to reach a provisional decision soon on its work on transparency and to accelerate its work on the clarification and improvement of RTA disciplines under existing WTO provisions, taking into account the developmental aspects of RTAs. |
| TRIPS negotiations | The WTO agenda took note of the progress made in the negotiations on the establishment of a multilateral system of notification and registration of geographical indications for wines and spirits. [It is in this area that India's issues of interest on patenting of Basmati rice and various other traditional medicinal remedies falls.] |
| Environment negotiations | The WTO agenda took note of the progress made by the Special Session of the Committee on Trade and Environment in developing a common understanding of the concepts of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. It reaffirmed its commitment to these negotiations. |
| DSU negotiations | The WTO agenda took note of the progress that had been made in the negotiations on dispute settlement. It renewed its determination to pursue these negotiations with the aim of completing them not later than May 2004. |
| S&D treatment | The WTO agenda reaffirmed that provisions for special and differential treatment are an integral part of WTO Agreements. It recalled its decision in Doha to review special and differential treatment provisions with a view to strengthening and making them more precise, effective and operational. It noted the progress that had been made towards meeting these objectives. It instructed the General Council to continue to monitor closely work on the proposals referred to negotiating groups and other WTO bodies. It instructed the Committee on Trade and Development in Special Session to pursue expeditiously, within the parameters of the Doha mandate, the work on remaining agreement-specific proposals and other outstanding issues with recommendations. |
| Implementation | The WTO agenda noted that, while some progress has been made under the mandates it gave at Doha concerning implementation-related issues and concerns, a number of the issues and concerns raised in this context remained outstanding. It instructed the Trade Negotiations Committee, negotiating bodies and other WTO bodies concerned to redouble their efforts to find appropriate solutions as a priority, and it requested the Director-General to continue the consultations he had undertaken on certain issues, including issues related to the extension of the protection of geographical indications. |
| Investment | The WTO agenda took note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group on the Relationship between Trade and Investment since the Fourth Ministerial Conference. The situation did not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, it decided that further clarification of the issues should be undertaken in the Working Group. |
| Competition | Taking note of the work done by the Working Group on the Interaction between Trade and Competition Policy under the mandate in paragraphs 23-25 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, it decided to commence negotiations.
The WTO agenda took note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group on the Interaction between Trade and Competition Policy since the Fourth Ministerial Conference. The situation did not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, it decided that further clarification of the issues should be undertaken in the Working Group.
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| Government Procurement | Taking note of the work done by the Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement under the Doha Ministerial Declaration, it decided to commence negotiations on the basis of the modalities set out.
The WTO agenda took note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement since the Fourth Ministerial Conference. The situation did not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, it decided that further clarification of the issues should be undertaken in the Working Group.
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| Trade Facilitation | Taking note of the work done on trade facilitation by the Council for Trade in Goods of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, it decided to commence negotiations on the basis of the modalities set out.
The WTO agenda took note of the discussions that have taken place on Trade Facilitation in the Council for Trade in Goods since the Fourth Ministerial Conference. The situation did not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, it decided that further clarification of the issues should be undertaken in the Council for Trade in Goods.
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| Small Economies | The WTO agenda reaffirmed its commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and urged Members to adopt specific measures that would facilitate the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system. It took note of the report of the Committee on Trade and Development in Dedicated Session on the Work Programme on Small Economies to the General Council and the recommendations made therein. It instructed the Committee on Trade and Development, under the overall responsibility of the General Council, to continue the work in the dedicated sessions with the aim of completing it as soon as possible. |
| Trade, Debt & Finance | The WTO agenda took note of the report transmitted by the General Council on progress in the examination of the relationship between trade, debt and finance and agreed that this work shall continue on the basis of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and the progress made in the Working Group. |
| Trade & Transfer of Technology | It took note of the report transmitted by the General Council on progress in the examination of the relationship between trade and transfer of technology and agreed that this work shall continue on the basis of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and the progress made in the Working Group. |
| CTE report | The WTO agenda took note of the report transmitted by the General Council on the work undertaken by the Committee on Trade and Environment of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. It agreed that this work should continue on the basis of the progress made thus far. |
| TRIPS non-violation | It took note of the work done by the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights of the Doha Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns and directed it to continue its examination of the scope and modalities for complaints. It is agreed that, in the meantime, members will not initiate such complaints under the TRIPS Agreement. |
| E-commerce | It took note of the reports from the General Council and subsidiary bodies on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, and agreed to continue the examination of issues under that ongoing Work Programme, with the current institutional arrangements. It instructed the General Council to report on further progress to its next session. It declared that members would maintain their current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions until that session. |
| Technical Co-operation | The WTO agenda welcomed the report by the Director-General on the implementation and adequacy of the commitments on technical co-operation and capacity building it made in its Doha Ministerial Declaration and requested him to report further to its next session. It noted with satisfaction the establishment of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund since WTO's last meeting and encouraged members to ensure adequate financing for future technical co-operation and capacity building programmes. It directed that in the planning of such programmes, consultations should be undertaken with beneficiary countries and priority given to their individual needs through both regional and national activities. |
| LDCs | The WTO agenda welcomed the report by the Director-General on issues affecting Least-Developed Countries (LDCs). It reaffirmed its commitment to effectively integrate LDCs into the multilateral trading system. In this regard, it acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns of the LDCs, as expressed in the Dhaka Declaration, adopted by their Ministers in June 2003. It took note that issues of interest to LDCs are being addressed in all areas of the negotiations. Building upon its commitment in the Doha Declaration it should continue to expeditiously pursue the objective of duty-free and quota-free market access for products originating from LDCs. It urged Members to adopt and implement rules of origin so as to facilitate exports from LDCs. Furthermore, in accordance with its commitment in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, it should take additional measures for progressive improvements in market access, both at the border and otherwise. In services, it should give priority to the sectors and modes of supply of export interest to LDCs. It further committed itself to provide effective trade-related technical assistance and capacity building to LDCs on a priority basis in helping to overcome their weak human, institutional and trade-related capacity. In this regard, it reiterated its endorsement of the Integrated Framework (IF) and agreed that it can truly become a viable model for LDCs' trade development if it effectively contributed to reducing supply-side constraints including through mainstreaming trade into their national development and poverty reduction strategies. It welcomed the joint communiqué adopted by the six IF core agencies at their Third Heads of Agency meeting and urged them to intensify their assistance in trade-related infrastructure, private sector development and institution building to help countries expand and diversify their export base. |
| Sectoral Initiative on Cotton | The WTO agenda took note of the proposal by Burkina Faso, Benin, Chad and Mali entitled "Poverty Reduction: Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton". |
| Commodity Issues | Taking into account the dependence of many developing countries on a few commodities and the problems created by long-term declines and sharp fluctuations in the prices of these commodities, it instruct the Committee on Trade and Development, within its mandate, to continue with its work on this issue in co-operation with other relevant international organisations and report on progress to the General Council before its next session. It recognised also that various trade-related aspects of this issue could be addressed in the ongoing negotiations, particularly in the framework of the negotiations on agriculture and non-agricultural market access. |
| Coherence | The WTO agenda appreciated the efforts that have been made by the Director-General to strengthen the WTO's collaboration with the IMF and the World Bank in the context of its Marrakesh mandate on achieving greater coherence in global economic policy-making. It encouraged the Director-General and the General Council to follow-up on the General Council meeting on coherence that was held in May 2003. It particularly welcomed the statement of support from the executive heads of the IMF and the World Bank, contained in their letter to the Director-General of 20 August 2003, to work with the WTO to address problems that some developing-country members may encounter in adjusting to a more liberal trade environment, through preference erosion, loss of tariff revenue, or other factors. |
| Accessions | The WTO agenda noted that this conference has completed the accession procedures for Cambodia and Nepal. This marked the entry of the first two LDCs into the WTO. In this regard, it took the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the Guidelines on the Accession of LDCs adopted by the General Council on 10 December 2002, and to facilitate and accelerate their accession. It also welcomed Armenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as new members since its last session. It confirmed that these accessions, as those of the 25 governments now negotiating accession, would greatly strengthen its multilateral trading system. |
