Trade Negociations Committee / DG Azevêdo - Expect "intense, relentless" engagement on DDA issues in September

WTO
Logo WTO's 10th Ministerial Conference in Kenya
31 July 2015
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World Trade Organization (Geneva)
press release

Director-General Roberto Azevêdo told a meeting of all WTO members today (31 July) that there had not been sufficient progress to deliver a work programme on remaining issues of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) by the 31 July deadline.

He said that while this is a "very disappointing result", it should not become an obstacle to achieving outcomes at the WTO's Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December. "This missed deadline does not represent a barrier to delivering in Nairobi – but it should be a wake-up call about our prospects for success," he said.

Giving his overall assessment of the scenario, the Director-General said:

"When members return in September we will need to move on from questions of process and instead put an intense, relentless focus on substance. I can see potential outcomes in a number of areas, particularly on the LDC issues, but it will depend on how fast we can move in the second half of the year."

"As we look to the task ahead, I think we should be confident. We know that we can deliver. We did it in Bali, and we showed it again in the last few days. We concluded two decades of negotiations on Monday when members approved the accession of Kazakhstan. And last week, with the breakthrough on expansion of the ITA, we set the stage for the WTO's first tariff-cutting agreement in 18 years. It shows that we are negotiating, and it shows that members are prepared to use innovative approaches to achieve results. We should take inspiration from this."

"While we have missed a deadline today, this is not the end of our discussions. Rather, this is where the really tough work starts. We still have a real chance of delivering meaningful outcomes in Nairobi."

The meeting heard detailed reports from the Chairs of the Negotiating Groups and numerous statements from members. Reflecting on this discussion, the Director-General added:

"I told members that the most important thing we can do today is send a united message that we are all committed to delivering outcomes in Nairobi — and that this is our number one priority. I was very pleased with the response — I think there is unanimity on this point. I heard a real determination to hit the ground running in September with a single-minded focus on delivering substantive, meaningful outcomes in Nairobi."

Trade Negotiations Committee - Remarks by Director-General Roberto Azevêdo

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