Cairns group expects successful conclusion of Doha round within reach

Cairns Group, an organization of 19 agriculture exporting countries, Wednesday expressed optimism that a successful conclusion was within reach, particularly if substantial progress could be made in the weeks ahead.

In the joint communique issued at the end of the three-day ministerial meeting in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, the group members said that action was needed now to avoid putting the Doha round at a grave risk of drifting indefinitely, or even failing.

They stated that the members needed to find the breakthroughs that would allow the conclusion of the negotiations by the end of this year.

The enormous global potential of the Doha Development Agenda can only be fully realized with the participation of all members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), said the communique.

The Cairns Group is an interest group of 19 agricultural exporting countries, composed of Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Uruguay.

"We need high-level political engagement from all Members to deliver on the development promise of this round," it said.

The group of the agriculture exporting countries also reiterated its commitment to securing an ambitious and successful conclusion to the round while expressing its firm resolve to continue to make constructive and positive contributions to the negotiating process.

The group also called upon all WTO members to engage fully and flexibly in the ongoing process in Geneva.

The failure to conclude the Doha round would represent a major blow for development, for agricultural trade reform and for the multilateral trade system in general, it warned.

The body also reiterated that there could be no successful outcome to the Doha round without a substantial package of reforms on agriculture.

It urged the European Union, the United States and Japan to do much more to give effect to the far-reaching mandate for agricultural reform.

"They must come forward with concrete contributions without delay and take the opportunities to strengthen and deepen liberalization in the WTO with domestic reform including through the next U.S. Farm Bill and scheduled reviews of the Common Agricultural Policy," it said.

Source: Xinhua