August 27, 2001 | ISSN 1533-1350 | By John Nagel
MEXICO CITY - Mexico is readying to host an informal conference of 18 WTO World Trade Organization trade ministers Aug. 31-Sept. 1 aimed at narrowing differences in advance of a comprehensive round of trade negotiations in Doha, Qatar. Mexico's Economy Ministry, the Secretaria de Economia, confirmed in a news statement Aug. 23 that the country will host the informal conference "with the objective of contributing to the success of the IV Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar." The Qatar meeting is to be held Nov. 9-13.
Michael Moore, director of the WTO, will attend the conference, the Ministry said. One U.S. diplomat here alluded to the conference as a "Mini-Ministerial."
The conference will also be attended by trade representatives for Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Egypt, the United States, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania and Uruguay.
Mexico said that the meeting is necessary due to a lack of advances in preparatory work being carried out in Geneva in advance of the Doha meeting. Key WTO members remain divided on issues such as agriculture and the environment.
"The preparatory work for the IV Ministerial Conference of the WTO that is taking place in Geneva has not yet advanced enough to reach a consensus on the post-Doha agenda. It is necessary to have The direct involvement of trade ministers in the process with the objective of giving political guidance to the preparatory work, as well as to have a better idea of the reach of the Ministerial Conference," the Economy Ministry said.
No Conclusive Outcomes
Pierre Pettigrew, Canada's Minister for International Trade, confirmed his attendance at the conference in an Aug. 23 statement, saying "this meeting provides an excellent opportunity for this small group of ministers to hear each other out and build momentum for the launch of the new WTO negotiations." Pettigrew added that the meeting "is simply one step on the road to Doha, however, and there will be no conclusive outcomes. Much more work will need to be done by all the WTO members in the weeks leading up to Doha." Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said in the statement that Canada will continue to work to pursue Canadian interests at the WTO, particularly in agriculture and services sectors.
Mexico Seeks to Contribute to Success
The invitation to WTO ministers by Economy Minister, Luis Ernesto Derbez, "demonstrates the interest of Mexico in contributing to the success of the ministerial conference in Qatar," the Ministry said.
Mexico is the only country that has not yet signed a bilateral agreement with China as China seeks entry to the WTO. Mexico wants to maintain high antidumping duties on a range of textiles, toys, and shoes for eight years before allowing increased competition from China. China has sought the elimination of the duties in three years.
Copyright c 2001 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Washington D.C.37130:
