May 01, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1428

ISLAMABAD, April 30: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Monday issued a draft text on agriculture to start a process to provoke comments from member countries on where consensus might be achieved for concluding the Doha Development Round by end of the current calendar year.

An official in the commerce ministry told Dawn that following the comments from members on the draft text, the second part of the draft was expected to be issued a week later. Members would be able to provide their reactions at the next informal meeting scheduled for May 4 in Geneva.

These reactions would eventually be used to revise the draft modalities that the chairman circulated in June 2006, he added.

The draft paper titled ‘Chairperson’s texts 2007’ circulated to member countries by Ambassador Crawford Falconer, chairman of WTO agriculture committee, containing a first set of his ideas on where members’ positions might converge.

The comments from member countries on where consensus might be achieved, leading to a revision or series of revisions of the 2006 draft ‘modalities’ paper, Mr Crawford stated in the paper. The first draft of the modalities paper was circulated on June 22, 2006.

The current paper is based on chairman’s judgement of where agreement might be possible and where it might not. The paper indicates possible “centres of gravity” (approximate areas of possible agreement) in some areas. It also suggests “splitting the difference” between outstanding positions in other areas.

“The paper challenges developing countries to make massive concessions whilst demanding very little of rich countries. The reductions in farm subsidies are insufficient,” said Aftab Alam Khan, Head of ActionAid’s Trade Campaign.

To suggest that poor WTO members can only protect 5-8 per cent of farm products as ‘special’ against their demand of 20pc will not help millions of poor farmers, Mr Aftab added.

Deputy Executive Director of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Dr Abid Suleri feels that the paper clearly reflects the divide and rule policy of developed nations have again succeeded.

The momentum gained by the G-33 members over SPs was badly hit when one of their active members deviated from the group under the influence of Cairns group and demanded for a lesser protection against group demands.

“What Pakistan will get in return for this change in its policy from the rest of the group,” Dr Abid questioned.

A paper by Pakistan on modalities for the selection and treatment of SP by developing countries drew strong opposition from majority of developing countries at an informal meeting of the Special Session of the WTO Committee on Agriculture last week.

Ahmad Mukhtar, Commercial Secretary Pakistan Mission to WTO, said despite criticism one point was very clear, even verified by the Chair, that this had initiated a healthy and much needed debate on SPs which could lead to an amicable solution of this issue.

However, he said Pakistan took this criticism positively and were encouraged by the fact that due to our initiative a healthy debate had started on SPs and this did not mean that we would change our stance on SPs.

“Our stance is still in line with the G-33, the only difference is that we are asking for fairness and transparency in the selection/designation of SPs and trying to minimise the potential misuse of SPs in order to restrict the market access otherwise available,” he elaborated.

“Our selection method is in line with the G-33 ministerial communiqué that asks for “operationalisation” of the indicators finalised during the latest ministerial meeting,” he added.