General Council chairperson Carlos Pérez del Castillo and Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi submitted their draft Cancún Ministerial Declaration to ministers on 31 August 2003. In a covering letter, they stress that it has not been agreed “in any part”, and does not include many of the member governments’ proposals. But, “it remains our best judgement of what could constitute a workable framework for action by Ministers at Cancún. We believe it constitutes an adequate and manageable basis for discussion, and we hope it will prove a useful tool in our search for common ground in Cancún”.
Draft Cancún Ministerial Text 1. We reaffirm our Declarations made at Doha and the decisions we took there. We take note of the progress that has been made towards carrying out the Work Programme agreed at Doha, and recommit ourselves to completing it fully. We also renew our determination to conclude the negotiations launched at Doha successfully by the agreed date of 1 January 2005.
2. In pursuance of these objectives, we agree as follows:
TRIPS & Public Health3. We welcome the decision on implementation of paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health set out in document […]. Agriculture negotiations4. We reaffirm our commitment to the mandate on agriculture as set out in paragraph 13 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. We take note of the progress made by the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture in this regard and agree to intensify work to translate the Doha objectives into reform modalities. To this end, we adopt the framework set out in Annex A to this document concerning the further commitments and related disciplines on key outstanding issues on market access, export competition and domestic support as the basis for concluding the work in these areas. We direct the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture to conclude its work on establishing modalities for the further commitments, including provisions for special and differential treatment, by [...]. We agree that participants will submit their comprehensive draft Schedules based on these modalities no later than [...] and confirm that the negotiations, including with respect to rules and disciplines and related legal texts, shall be concluded as part and at the date of conclusion of the negotiating agenda as a whole. NAMA negotiations5. We reaffirm our commitment to the mandate for negotiations on market access for non-agricultural products as set out in paragraph 16 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. We take note of the progress made by the Negotiating Group on Market Access in this regard and agree to intensify work to translate the Doha objectives into modalities for these negotiations. To this end, we adopt the framework for modalities for negotiations on non-agricultural products set out in Annex B to this document. We direct the Negotiating Group to conclude its work on establishing modalities by [...] and to take the necessary further steps to ensure the conclusion of negotiations by the agreed date. Services negotiations6. We are committed to intensifying our efforts to bring the negotiations on specific commitments to conclusion. We stress the importance of full engagement by all participants, inter alia through the continuous exchange of requests and offers. With a view to providing effective market access to all Members, due regard shall be given to the quality of offers, particularly in sectors and modes of supply of export interest to developing countries. We call upon those participants who have not yet submitted their initial offers to do so as soon as possible. Improved offers should be submitted by [...]. We are also committed to intensifying our efforts to conclude the negotiations on rule-making under GATS Articles VI:4, X, XIII, and XV in accordance with their respective mandates and deadlines, noting the deadline of 15 March 2004 for emergency safeguard measures. The Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services shall review progress in these negotiations by 31 March 2004. We reaffirm that the negotiations shall aim to achieve progressively higher levels of liberalization 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. We note the interest of developing countries, as well as other Members, in Mode 4.In accordance with GATS provisions, there shall be due respect for the right of Members to regulate and to introduce new regulations in pursuance of national policy objectives.
(Text to be added on modalities for the special treatment of least-developed country Members depending on the outcome of the ongoing consultations.) Rules negotiations7. We instruct 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. We note the progress that has 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 negotiations8. We take 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 and instruct the Special Session of the Council for TRIPS to continue the work as mandated in Article 23.4 of the TRIPS Agreement and paragraph 18 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. We agree that the negotiations shall be completed by [...]. Environment negotiations9. We take note of the progress made by the Special Session of the Committee on Trade and Environment in developing a common understanding of the concepts contained in its mandate in paragraph 31 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. We reaffirm our commitment to these negotiations. DSU negotiations10. We take note of the progress that has been made in the negotiations on dispute settlement. We renew our determination to pursue these negotiations with the aim of completing them not later than May 2004. Further negotiations shall be carried out on the basis of work done thus far, including the Chairman's text of 28 May 2003 and other proposals by participants. S&D treatment11. We reaffirm that provisions for special and differential treatment are an integral part of WTO Agreements. We recall our decision in Doha to review special and differential treatment provisions with a view to strengthening and making them more precise, effective and operational. We note the progress that has been made towards meeting these objectives and adopt the decisions in Annex C to this document. We instruct the General Council to continue to monitor closely work on the proposals referred to negotiating groups and other WTO bodies, and direct these bodies to report to the General Council no later than [...]. We instruct 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 referred to in TN/CTD/7 and report with recommendations, as appropriate, to the General Council by [...]. The General Council shall submit a report on all these issues to our next Session. Implementation12. We note that, while some progress has been made under the mandates we gave at Doha concerning implementation-related issues and concerns, a number of the issues and concerns raised in this context remain outstanding. We reaffirm the mandates we gave in paragraph 12 of our Doha Ministerial Declaration and our Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns, and we renew our determination to find appropriate solutions to these issues. We instruct the Trade Negotiations Committee, negotiating bodies and other WTO bodies concerned to redouble their efforts to find appropriate solutions as a priority, and we request the Director-General to continue the consultations he has undertaken on certain issues, including issues related to the extension of the protection of geographical indications provided for in Article 23 of the TRIPS Agreement to products other than wines and spirits. The General Council shall review progress and take any appropriate action no later than [...]. Investment13. [Taking note of the work done by the Working Group on the Relationship between Trade and Investment under the mandate in paragraphs 20-22 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, we decide to commence negotiations on the basis of the modalities set out in Annex D to this document.]
[We take 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 does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, we decide that further clarification of the issues be undertaken in the Working Group.] Competition14. [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, we decide to commence negotiations on the basis of the modalities set out in Annex E to this document.]
[We take 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 does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, we decide that further clarification of the issues be undertaken in the Working Group.] Government Procurement15. [Taking note of the work done by the Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement under the mandate in paragraph 26 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, we decide to commence negotiations on the basis of the modalities set out in Annex F to this document.]
[We take note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement since the Fourth Ministerial Conference. The situation does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, we decide that further clarification of the issues be undertaken in the Working Group.] Trade Facilitation16. [Taking note of the work done on trade facilitation by the Council for Trade in Goods under the mandate in paragraph 27 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, we decide to commence negotiations on the basis of the modalities set out in Annex G to this document.]
[We take 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 does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. Accordingly, we decide that further clarification of the issues be undertaken in the Council for Trade in Goods.] Small Economies17. We reaffirm our commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and urge Members to adopt specific measures that would facilitate the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system. We take 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. We instruct 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 but no later than 1 January 2005. We instruct the General Council to report on progress and action taken, together with any further recommendations as appropriate, to our next Session. Trade, Debt & Finance18. We take note of the report transmitted by the General Council on progress in the examination of the relationship between trade, debt and finance and agree that this work shall continue on the basis of the mandate contained in paragraph 36 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and the progress made in the Working Group to date. The General Council shall report further to our next Session. Trade & Transfer of Technology19. We take note of the report transmitted by the General Council on progress in the examination of the relationship between trade and transfer of technology and agree that this work shall continue on the basis of the mandate contained in paragraph 37 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and the progress made in the Working Group to date. The General Council shall report further to our next Session. CTE report20. We take note of the report transmitted by the General Council on the work undertaken by the Committee on Trade and Environment pursuant to paragraphs 32 and 33 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. We agree that this work shall continue on the basis of the progress made thus far and instruct the General Council to report to our next Session. TRIPS non-violation21. We take note of the work done by the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights pursuant to paragraph 11.1 of the Doha Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns and direct it to continue its examination of the scope and modalities for complaints of the types provided for under subparagraphs 1(b) and 1(c) of Article XXIII of GATT 1994 and make recommendations by [...]. It is agreed that, in the meantime, Members will not initiate such complaints under the TRIPS Agreement. E-commerce22. We take note of the reports from the General Council and subsidiary bodies on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, and agree to continue the examination of issues under that ongoing Work Programme, with the current institutional arrangements. We instruct the General Council to report on further progress to our next Session. We declare that Members will maintain their current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions until that Session. Technical Cooperation23. We welcome the report by the Director-General on the implementation and adequacy of the commitments on technical cooperation and capacity building we made in our Doha Ministerial Declaration and request him to report further to our next Session. We note with satisfaction the establishment of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund since our last meeting and encourage Members to ensure adequate financing for future technical cooperation and capacity building programmes. We direct 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. We welcome the improved collaboration and coordination with other agencies, including under the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance for the Least-Developed Countries and Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme. We commend the work undertaken in this respect by the Director-General and the Secretariat, and encourage the continuation of these and other efforts so as to facilitate the greater participation of developing countries in the multilateral trading system. LDCs24. We welcome the report by the Director-General on issues affecting Least-Developed Countries (LDCs). We reaffirm our commitment to effectively integrate LDCs into the multilateral trading system. In this regard, we acknowledge the seriousness of the concerns of the LDCs, as expressed in the Dhaka Declaration, adopted by their Ministers in June 2003. We take note that issues of interest to LDCs are being addressed in all areas of the negotiations. Building upon our commitment in the Doha Declaration we shall continue to expeditiously pursue the objective of duty-free and quota-free market access for products originating from LDCs. We urge Members to adopt and implement rules of origin so as to facilitate exports from LDCs. In this regard, we appreciate the improved market access measures adopted by several Members. Furthermore, in accordance with our commitment in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, we shall take additional measures for progressive improvements in market access, both at the border and otherwise. In services, we [shall give priority to the sectors and modes of supply of export interest to LDCs, particularly in regard to movement of service providers under Mode 4.] We further commit ourselves 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, we reiterate our endorsement of the Integrated Framework (IF) and agree that it can truly become a viable model for LDCs' trade development if it effectively contributes to reducing supply-side constraints including through mainstreaming trade into their national development and poverty reduction strategies. We welcome the joint communiqué adopted by the six IF core agencies at their Third Heads of Agency meeting and urge them to intensify their assistance in trade-related infrastructure, private sector development and institution building to help countries expand and diversify their export base. We also urge cooperation with other bilateral and multilateral development partners. We request the Director-General to report to our next Session on further developments. Sectoral Initiative on Cotton25. We take note of the proposal by Burkina Faso, Benin, Chad and Mali entitled “Poverty Reduction: Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton” and agree that [...]. Commodity Issues26. 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, we instruct the Committee on Trade and Development, within its mandate, to continue with its work on this issue in cooperation with other relevant international organizations and report on progress to the General Council before our next Session. We recognize 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. Coherence27. We appreciate 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 our Marrakesh mandate on achieving greater coherence in global economic policy-making. We encourage the Director-General and the General Council to follow-up on the General Council meeting on Coherence that was held in May 2003. We particularly welcome 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. We invite the Director-General to report to us at our next Session on initiatives that have been taken in this area. Accessions28. We note with particular satisfaction that this Conference has completed the accession procedures for Cambodia and Nepal. This marks the entry of the first two LDCs into the WTO under Article XII of the WTO Agreement. In this regard, we take the opportunity to reaffirm our 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. We also welcome Armenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as new Members since our last Session. We confirm that these accessions, as those of the 25 governments now negotiating accession, will greatly strengthen our multilateral trading system. We shall therefore continue to give our attention and priority to concluding the ongoing accession proceedings as rapidly as possible.
> Continued in Annexes to this text
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