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Statement on Doha Development Agenda Negotiations

We, the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade, strongly support the efforts now underway to move the Doha negotiations forward expeditiously. We urge all WTO members to intensify their efforts in coming weeks to agree by July 2004 on the key issues that will provide a clear way forward for the Doha negotiations. We emphasize the continued importance of the mandate agreed by Ministers in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and the need for high levels of ambition and respect for flexibility contained therein to be faithfully reflected in the way forward.
Consequently, bearing in mind that the development dimension permeates all areas of the negotiation, we commit and direct our officials to work with a sense of urgency to achieve by July 2004 results that include:
  • a negotiating framework for agriculture that provides an ambitious approach to market access with the necessary flexibility; substantial reductions of trade-distorting domestic support; and includes a specific commitment to abolish all forms of export subsidies by a date certain;
  • a negotiating framework for non-agricultural market access, on the basis of the Derbez text, that is balanced and provides for real improvements in market access and addresses non-tariff barriers;
  • an agreement to launch negotiations on trade facilitation within the single undertaking, recognizing APEC's special contribution in this area;
  • the tabling of services offers by members that have not done so by July 2004, a timeframe for improving offers, as well as making progress in the rule-making areas of services; and,
  • a reaffirmation on the need to make substantial progress in all areas, including work in the Negotiating Group on Rules in accordance with the Doha mandate and the Bangkok Leaders' Declaration;
We reaffirm that a high level of ambition in all areas of the DDA must be accompanied by a strong and renewed emphasis on development. In line with this ambition we also want prompt results in the on-going efforts aimed at making existing special and differential treatment more precise, effective and operational. We commit to enhancing technical assistance and capacity building for developing members.
We instruct the APEC Geneva Caucus to intensify their efforts to support the key areas of the July package. Recognizing that agricultural market access is lagging behind export subsidies and domestic support, we further instruct that special attention be given to finding a way forward.