OMC: NOUVELLES 2005
2 décembre 2005
GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING 2 DECEMBER 2005
Le Président de la Conférence annonce les noms des Facilitateurs
Le Président de la sixième Conférence ministérielle, le Secrétaire John Tsang, a invité les Membres, le 2 décembre 2005, à “s'engager pleinement dans des négociations sérieuses” à Hong Kong et à “établir une plate-forme” pour la conclusion du Cycle en 2006. Il a promis “un processus ouvert, transparent et sans exclusion” et a annoncé les noms des Ministres qui l'aideraient en tant que Facilitateurs.
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Pascal Lamy
Statement by John Tsang — Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology Hong Kong, China.
Thank you Madam Chair,
Let me start by saying how pleased I am to be here. I realize that the last
couple of weeks has been a period of intense activity preparing the draft
Declaration for the Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong. My thanks to
you all.
It is not a secret that many of us would have liked to see agreement on full
modalities in Hong Kong, but I am not going to agonize over that now.
Multilateral negotiations have a life and a rhythm of their own. As with
baking, you cannot force the pace without risk of spoiling the cake.
From Hong Kong, China’s point of view, what is important is that we add
value to the process. The Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong will not be
just an occasion for stocktaking. We will be fully engaged in serious
negotiations. We will aim to ratchet up the extent and quality of our
convergence, and set the platform for the next stage of our preparation
towards the conclusion of the Round by the end of 2006.
Pascal is fond of aeronautical metaphors. So let me say that our aim is to
emerge from the ministerial meeting refueled, re-charged and re-focused with
an unambiguous flight-plan for the final leg of the journey. To my mind,
that has always meant that we must concentrate colleagues’ minds on key
issues in each area and secure decisions, which clear the way for the final
stage of negotiations here in Geneva.
In that context, allow me to say a few words about how we plan to run the
meeting in Hong Kong. The strategy for the preparatory work is a bottom-up
process with no surprises. That is exactly how I intend to run the Hong Kong
meeting: bottom-up and no surprises. We want to have, indeed, we need to
have, an open, transparent and inclusive process, with nothing new or novel,
nothing untried, nothing untested or nothing unfamiliar.
I fully understand that communication amongst delegations and groups of
delegations is a key ingredient for an effective ministerial meeting. We
will, therefore, be adhering to past practice in having two daily one hour
slots, morning and afternoon, to facilitate this sort of coordination. I
will also ask the coordinators and spokespersons of various groupings to
assist me in disseminating information on the latest developments to their
respective constituencies to ensure that everyone is up to date on the state
of the discussion and that the process remains as transparent as possible.
Madam Chair, I understand that you intend to say a few words later on about
the organization of work, and I have no wish to duplicate this. However, let
me just emphasize that after the formal opening of the Conference on the
afternoon of Tuesday 13 December, we will move quickly to the business
session of the conference at which we will need to adopt an agenda and agree
on the organization of work. I have been in close touch with the Director
General on this over the last few weeks, and I will communicate with
delegations more formally on detailed arrangements shortly. Allow me today
simply to say that the informal process in Hong Kong will essentially mirror
the process you are familiar with here in Geneva. There will be regular
informal Heads-of-Delegations meetings, at least once a day.
As part of this, I believe that, like my predecessors, I will need the
assistance of a number of colleagues to facilitate the process in Hong Kong.
I have, therefore, approached a number of them to ensure, initially, that
they are both willing – you will understand me when I say that there are few
volunteers for this sort of work (!) – and that they are available. I am
happy to say that I have secured the services of six courageous colleagues.
They are:
Humayun Khan of Pakistan, who will deal with NAMA;
Mukhisa Kituyi of Kenya, who will deal with Agriculture; and
Clement Rohee of Guyana, who will deal with specific development-related issues.
For Services, Rules and other issues, I have secured the assistance of three other colleagues who will serve as facilitators at large. They are:
Hyun Chong Kim of Korea;
Jonas Støre of Norway; and
Ignacio Walker of Chile.
So there it is, my slate of facilitators who will assist me in Hong Kong. In
choosing them I have borne in mind the five core areas of work, which we
have pursued since the beginning of this year, and the need to be
even-handed. I also have in mind the need for some flexibility in the
organization of work as negotiations evolve during the conference. I will be
giving further thought to this in the time remaining between now and our
meeting in Hong Kong, but I thought it best to share my broad thinking with
you at this earliest possible moment.
I can assure Members that all facilitators will provide opportunities for
every delegation to make its views known, and will keep transparency and
inclusiveness close to their hearts.
Madam Chair, preparations for the Hong Kong Ministerial are complete.
Logistically, everything that can be done to facilitate a successful meeting
of ministers has been done. Hong Kong, China, looks forward to welcoming you
all and to making every aspect of your stay with us as comfortable and
enjoyable an experience as possible. What we cannot do is guarantee success;
we cannot do your work for you. Success is something for which we have a
collective responsibility.
We are all fond of repeating that the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ is a member-driven organization;
the agenda is member-driven; the process is member-driven; and so success
must also by definition be member-driven. Hong Kong, China is delighted that
we have been given the opportunity to host the coming conference. We hope
that it will help move negotiations forward, but a successful conclusion of
this Round depends on you, the members, having the global vision and the
individual courage necessary to drive determinedly through the Ministerial
and onto the final stage. For sure, colleagues, the world will be watching.
In conclusion, Madam Chair, let me say how pleased I am to have had the
opportunity of being with you all at this meeting of the General CounciI
this morning. It has been immensely valuable in helping me think through my
final preparations for the task ahead. Thank you for taking the process this
far; I look forward to seeing you all in Hong Kong and working with you all
collectively towards a successful conclusion of the Doha Development Round.
Thank you.