Commentary--World's least Developed or Poorest Nations Need Help
By Fritz Kenol
Dec 27, 2005, 13:46
Despite the differences expressed (during the World Trade Organization Conference) in Cancun in September 2003, I am convinced that we are all aware of the need to give effect, as quickly as possible to the commitments undertaken in Doha in November 2001.
Our presence in Hong Kong (at the WTO Trade Ministerial conference was) a testament to that resolve.While the Fourth Ministerial conference held in Doha in November 2001 marked the launch of the Development Round (of WTO Trade negotiations), the issue of development was in fact addressed in the context of the multilateral trading system prior to the inauguration of the Doha Round.Thus in the Marrakech Agreement establishing the WTO, signed on April 15, 1994, the (States) Parties recognized the need to ensure that developing countries, and especially the least developed among them, secure a share in the growth of international trade commensurate with the needs of their economic development.
Special and differential treatment (S&D) in favor of these countries is consistent with that approach. We therefore request as provided in Paragraph 44 of the Doha Declaration, that all S&D provisions be reviewed with a view to strengthening them and making them more precise, effective and operational.At the end of the 1980s, Haiti began a process of trade liberalization, which reduced its MFN (Most Favored Nation) duties to an average of 2.9 per cent, with zero rates for roughly 67 per cent of its tariff lines. In addition, in the context of accession to the WTO in 1996, Haiti bound its customs duties at a very low rate and submitted a schedule of specific commitments providing for a degree of liberalization of trade in services. These reforms were unfortunately not accompanied by adequate measures to cushion the potentially negative effects of the opening up of our economy.
We cannot fail, in this connection, to refer to the potential importance of the Integrated Framework. As a pilot country in the first phase of implementation of the program of trade related technical assistance and capacity building on behalf of the lesser-developed countries, Haiti derived no great benefit. It thus places great hope in the enhanced integrated Framework to help it better integrate trade into its national development.While it is clear that each country bears responsibility for its development strategies, it is equally clear that the success of these strategies, in the case of a country like Haiti, depends largely on the complementary policies of its development partners, both bilateral and multilateral. It is with this in mind that we venture to draw the attention of our development partners to the need for technical assistance to be provided to us on the basis of the order of priority we have ourselves established.Much remains to be done in this Development Round (of the WTO trade negotiations).
However, we are bound to acknowledge that the situation of the least developed countries has received a measure of special attention, particularly in the negotiations on agriculture and market access for non-agricultural products, NAMA. This is reflected in the fact that the LDCs are under no obligation to reduce customs duties in these two areas of negotiations. Regarding market access to the markets of the developed countries, we are extremely concerned about the preferences erosion to which these negotiations might give rise.
Given this reality, we would argue in favor of flexible rules of origin, and technical assistance enabling us to comply with technical standards and the sanitary and phytosantiary standards established by our partners.In the area of services, we hope that our partners, particularly the developed ones, will take greater heed of the interest we have always shown in Mode 4. This mode of services supply is of great export interest to Haiti. We would also like to see tourism accorded more importance in the services negotiations as we are convinced that it can contribute to technology transfer, to attracting foreign direct investment and to strengthening our infrastructures.
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Fritz Kenol, Haiti's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. The above is an edited version of his address to the WTO Ministerial Trade ministers conference in Hong Kong.
Caribbean World Radio
By Fritz Kenol
Dec 27, 2005, 13:46
Despite the differences expressed (during the World Trade Organization Conference) in Cancun in September 2003, I am convinced that we are all aware of the need to give effect, as quickly as possible to the commitments undertaken in Doha in November 2001.
Our presence in Hong Kong (at the WTO Trade Ministerial conference was) a testament to that resolve.While the Fourth Ministerial conference held in Doha in November 2001 marked the launch of the Development Round (of WTO Trade negotiations), the issue of development was in fact addressed in the context of the multilateral trading system prior to the inauguration of the Doha Round.Thus in the Marrakech Agreement establishing the WTO, signed on April 15, 1994, the (States) Parties recognized the need to ensure that developing countries, and especially the least developed among them, secure a share in the growth of international trade commensurate with the needs of their economic development.
Special and differential treatment (S&D) in favor of these countries is consistent with that approach. We therefore request as provided in Paragraph 44 of the Doha Declaration, that all S&D provisions be reviewed with a view to strengthening them and making them more precise, effective and operational.At the end of the 1980s, Haiti began a process of trade liberalization, which reduced its MFN (Most Favored Nation) duties to an average of 2.9 per cent, with zero rates for roughly 67 per cent of its tariff lines. In addition, in the context of accession to the WTO in 1996, Haiti bound its customs duties at a very low rate and submitted a schedule of specific commitments providing for a degree of liberalization of trade in services. These reforms were unfortunately not accompanied by adequate measures to cushion the potentially negative effects of the opening up of our economy.
We cannot fail, in this connection, to refer to the potential importance of the Integrated Framework. As a pilot country in the first phase of implementation of the program of trade related technical assistance and capacity building on behalf of the lesser-developed countries, Haiti derived no great benefit. It thus places great hope in the enhanced integrated Framework to help it better integrate trade into its national development.While it is clear that each country bears responsibility for its development strategies, it is equally clear that the success of these strategies, in the case of a country like Haiti, depends largely on the complementary policies of its development partners, both bilateral and multilateral. It is with this in mind that we venture to draw the attention of our development partners to the need for technical assistance to be provided to us on the basis of the order of priority we have ourselves established.Much remains to be done in this Development Round (of the WTO trade negotiations).
However, we are bound to acknowledge that the situation of the least developed countries has received a measure of special attention, particularly in the negotiations on agriculture and market access for non-agricultural products, NAMA. This is reflected in the fact that the LDCs are under no obligation to reduce customs duties in these two areas of negotiations. Regarding market access to the markets of the developed countries, we are extremely concerned about the preferences erosion to which these negotiations might give rise.
Given this reality, we would argue in favor of flexible rules of origin, and technical assistance enabling us to comply with technical standards and the sanitary and phytosantiary standards established by our partners.In the area of services, we hope that our partners, particularly the developed ones, will take greater heed of the interest we have always shown in Mode 4. This mode of services supply is of great export interest to Haiti. We would also like to see tourism accorded more importance in the services negotiations as we are convinced that it can contribute to technology transfer, to attracting foreign direct investment and to strengthening our infrastructures.
---------------------------------------------------------
Fritz Kenol, Haiti's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. The above is an edited version of his address to the WTO Ministerial Trade ministers conference in Hong Kong.
Caribbean World Radio
