Aso Rock Statement of Multilateral Trade

(Issued at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, December 2003)

We, the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth, representing countries at all levels of development, reaffirm our commitment to a transparent, rules-based multilateral trading system. We recognise that such a system is in the interests of all countries, especially poor and vulnerable ones. We firmly believe that all countries have a right to full development. We are convined that increasing trading opportunities is the most potent weapon to combat poverty. A multilateral trading system that is more responsive to the needs of developing countries is particularly important for the Commonwealth, a third of whose nearly 2 billion people live on less than a dollar a day and nearly two-thirds on less than 2 dollars a day. We, in the Commonwealth, therefore, attach the highest priority to delivering the Doha Development Agenda.

We regret the breakdown of negotiations in Cancún. We support immediate re-engagement by all concerned and urge that all show the flexibility and political courage necessary to deliver a balanced Round.

Positive outcomes are essential in the areas of agriculture, non-agricultural market access, services, implementation issues and special and differential treatment. On agriculture, we call for the early phasing out of all forms of export subsidies, substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support and significant improvements in market access. In the area of industrial products, tariff escalation and tariff peaks must be addressed, as they are a major impediment to development. Finally special and differential treatment must be made precise, effective and operational in all WTO agreements.

The time that remains for a successful conclusion of the Round is now very short. We are, therefore, despatching a Ministerial mission to key capitals to call on major players and to urge them to negotiate positively and flexibly to re-invigorate the Doha Round and to move expeditiously to a final agreement.

We stress that multilateral trade liberalisation can offer significant benefits for all. We also recognise that poor and vulnerable countries should undertake trade liberalisation in ways that minimise transition costs and any negative impact on the poor. We recognise the special difficulties of developing economies, particularly of vulnerable small states that have lost trade preferences, and call for concerted action to assist them diversify their economies.

We call upon the Commonwealth Secretariat to strengthen its technical capacity-building programmes for developing Commonwealth countries to negotiate and implement their obligations within the WTO system, and of Commonwealth ACP countries in their negotiations with the EU on Economic Partnership Agreements, in ways consistent with their development interests. Where there is significant Commonwealth consensus on particular trade issues, we pledge to bring the full weight of the association to bear on them.