WORLD TN/C/12 28 July 2008 ORGANIZATION (08-3616) Trade Negotiations Committee Original: English

STATEMENT OF AFRICAN, ACP AND LDC GROUPS ON THE WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL MEETING GENEVA, 25 JULY 2008

The following communication, dated 25 July 2008, is being circulated at the request of the Delegations of Cote D'Ivoire, Mauritius and Lesotho (coordinators of the African Group, the ACP and LDC Groups respectively).

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STATEMENT OF AFRICAN, ACP AND LDC GROUPS ON THE WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL MEETING GENEVA, 25 JULY 2008

1. The is coordinated in the WTO Mini-Ministerial by Ministers from the following countries: Mauritius, Lesotho and Kenya representing the ACP, LDCs and African Groups respectively.

2. The G90 Ministerial participation at this meeting underscores the importance that the Group attaches to the Development Round, which aims to place development at the center of the trade negotiations.

Wish to state the following;

3. The G90 would like to express its deep concerns regarding the latest developments in the negotiations. The Group stresses that the yardstick for a successful Mini- Ministerial meeting is the extent to which the development content will be taken into account in the final outcome.

4. Having reviewed the developments that have taken place since the beginning of the Mini- Ministerial, the Group wishes to place on record its disappointment with the deterioration of negotiation process over the past few days. These developments have led to the exclusion of the G90 from the small group of members countries, that has been selected to further the negotiations on modalities.

5. Most of the issues being discussed by the small Group are critical for G90 and will have consequences for the level of ambition and the development content of the round. The G90, therefore, calls for a more transparent and all inclusive negotiating process. We also stress that the members of the small group cannot be expected to carry the responsibility of the representing the views and positions of all members.

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6. For the G90, a successful outcome of the Mini-Ministerial is one that is fair and balanced, and fully takes into account issues central to the development dimension of the Doha Development Round. These issues include, inter alia; substantive and effective reduction in trade distorting support, an appropriate treatment for long standing preferences, bananas, cotton, special mechanism, special products, flexibilities for developing countries in both agriculture and non- agricultural market access (NAMA), non reciprocal preferences, non mandatory nature of sectorals, commercially and meaningful duty free quota free (DFQF) market access for least developed countries (LDCs) in both agriculture and NAMA, and issues relating to small and vulnerable economies (SVEs), as reflected in the resolution of the ACP Council of Ministers (8- 13 June 2008), Addis Ababa; Maseru Declaration on 27 February 2008; the Addis-Ababa Ministerial Declaration (1 to 3 April 2008), and the Decision of the last Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Sharm-el-sheikh, Egypt of 24 June-1 July 2008.

7. The G90 also calls for an equitable outcome on the TRIPS/CBD issue which is crucial for the group and it should be part of the Single Undertaking.

8. While reiterating our willingness to engage constructively with all negotiating partners, we nevertheless, call on the major trading developed partners to show leadership and explore all possible efforts to reach the necessary convergence among all the Members on the major issues underpinning the negotiations.

9. We also reiterate the need for the G90 to be fully involved in the ongoing process. This would pave a way for a wider agreement among all Members of the WTO to deliver the development outcome upon which the Doha Round was launched.

10. We the G90 are ready to negotiate in good faith, and therefore, we expect other Members to engage with us on issues of vital interest to the G90 countries.

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