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Daily meetings of delegation heads to smooth passage of ministerial statement

Hong Kong has introduced measures aimed at increasing the transparency of next week's WTO ministerial conference to its 149 members, a senior government source said.

The move is an attempt to speed up agreement on a statement to conclude the World Trade Organisation's Doha round of talks.

A meeting of delegation heads would be held every day to keep  them informed of developments, the source said.

Delegates will get an hour in the morning and afternoon to discuss any adjustments in their stance.

The conference chairman - Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology John Tsang Chun-wah - will also hold discussions periodically with delegates.

'The measures to increase transparency will hopefully put members at ease about suspicion that some parties are manoeuvring behind their backs,' the source said, referring to previous complaints by developing or less-developed countries against domination by major economies like the US.

Mr Tsang said  laying out a roadmap for  global trade talks in 2006 - especially in the politically sensitive areas of new market access for agricultural, and non-agricultural products and services - was vital.

Last week, ministers from the WTO's key members set themselves a March  2006 deadline to agree on when to scrap export subsidies for agricultural products, while the goal is to conclude the current round of talks by the end of next year.

Hong Kong's role as host of next week's ministerial conference will end  on December 18, and expectations of what can be achieved remain low. Mr Tsang said agricultural issues are the main stumbling blocks preventing negotiations on services, rules and other key areas from moving forward.

Mr Tsang has appointed facilitators in six negotiating areas, including  Kenyan former trade minister Mukhisa Kituyi, to handle agricultural issues. He played down the absence of a mainland minister among his facilitators.

'I can find other facilitators, if necessary,' he said.

Earlier yesterday, US Treasury former secretary Robert Rubin said if the WTO talks collapsed next week, it would deal a severe body blow to global trade. He said the business community supported the  Doha  round, but there was a lack of political will and awareness  as the gains to be achieved  were  long term.

The goal of  the six-day conference, which starts on Tuesday, is to pave the way for implementation of the Doha round in 2006. This would reduce tariffs and other trade barriers to promote the economic development of poorer nations.



Measures introduced to avoid discord