Joint Statement G-20, the G-33, the ACP, the LDCs, the African Group and the Small Economies

Hong Kong, 16 December, 2005


"For the first time in the WTO, a Ministerial Meeting was held between all the developing country groups. The G-20, the G-33, the ACP, the LDCs, the African Group and the Small Economies exchanged views and decided to better coordinate their efforts in order to develop a common approach to issues of common interest.

The Groups recalled the pledge made at Doha to place the interests and needs of developing countries, especially the least-developed among them, at the heart of the Round. They reiterated their shared interest in the development dimension of the Round and their expectations for a comprehensive development outcome. They recalled that agriculture is central to development.

The Groups agreed that the Round must result in the removal of the distortions that inhibit the export growth of developing countries and the provision of adequate policy space to ensure their sustainable socio-economic development. They called upon developed countries to agree to the complete elimination of export support measures by 2010 while addressing concretely the specific needs of LDCs and NFIDCs. The Groups also affirmed the need for substantial reductions of trade-distorting domestic support.

The Groups recognize the importance of substantial improvements in market access for products of export interest from developing countries in developed country markets. They also recognize the need to address the concerns of preference receiving countries. They committed to work together with a view to finding creative solutions on the basis of paragraph 44 of the July 2004 Framework Agreement.

The Groups emphasized the importance of S&D in all the three pillars of the agriculture negotiations. In this context, they stressed the role of SPs and SSMs as a means of addressing the food security, rural development and livelihood concerns of developing countries in the market access pillar.

The Groups reaffirmed their support for LDC demands for duty-free and quota-free market access and recognized the need for a concrete outcome in Hong Kong on this issue.

The Groups stressed the need for a firm commitment to be made at Hong Kong to address the issue of cotton ambitiously, expeditiously and specifically.

The Groups also recognized the need to adopt specific measures to provide adequate responses to the trade-related issues raised by the small, vulnerable economies.

Whilst recognizing the diversity of situations and perceptions that they represent, the Groups vowed to intensify their dialogue, with a view to ensuring that the negotiations lead to an outcome consistent with the development mandate of the Doha Round.

In this context, they reiterated their commitment to a successful conclusion of the Doha Round by the end of 2006."