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WTO Ministerial Outcome Imbalanced Against Developing Countries

By Martin Khor

December 22, 2005

Third World Network (TWN)
Brief TWN Analysis of the WTO's Sixth Ministerial Conference, 22 December 2005.

The WTO's Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong on 13-18 December 2005 ended with a Ministerial Declaration that was imbalanced against the developing countries. The developing countries gave in on the key market access issues of services and non-agricultural market access. In return they did not receive any significant gain in cotton, market access for LDCs, or "aid for trade", the three main components of a so-called "development package". As for the 2013 end-date for elimination of agricultural export subsidies, the most publicized claim of benefit from Hong Kong, it was no victory. This greatest-distorting subsidy of all should have been eliminated many years ago, and no price should have been asked for it.

This paper is a brief analysis of the Hong Kong Ministerial by the Third World Network.

COPYRIGHT INFO: For permission to use or distribute this paper, please contact the TWN.

External Link: http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/twninfo339.htm

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