General Information for the LDC Ministerial Meeting
*DRAFT AGENDA*
LDC Trade Ministers’ Meeting
Maseru, Lesotho 27 – 29 February 2008
Introduction
The purpose of the Conference is to review progress made in the Doha Development Round of negotiations since LDCs Trade Ministers meeting of 2005 held in Livingstone, Zambia and followed by the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in December 2005, It is also to assess and address the revised texts on Agriculture and the Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) as well as any progress made in other areas so far. The objective will be to revise, where necessary, and consolidate LDCs position on relevant issues as a basis for continuing consultations.
The outcome of the Senior Officials meeting will be to produce a report the Ministers and a draft Ministerial Declaration for consideration. The outcome of the Ministers’ meeting will be a Declaration and other guidance to officials which could be used as a basis for consultations, during the scheduled consultations on the revised texts in March/April 2008 and thereafter, with other groupings and individual negotiating countries. Ministers will also offer guidance on other areas of DDA negotiations.
Particular emphasis will be placed on formulating specific proposals and recommendations on Agriculture including the specific treatment of the cotton issue, NAMA, Trade in Services, Special and Differential Treatment, Trade Facilitation and Duty Free Quota Free market access. These are considered to be the main issues of interest to LDCs in the Doha Development Round.
DAY 1: Senior Officials Meeting
08.00 – 09.00 Registration
09.00 – 09.30 Opening Session
- Opening Address by Hon. Popane Lebesa MP, Minister of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing, Lesotho and Co-ordinator of the WTO LDC Group.
09.30 – 10.30 Session I: Overview of the Process and Negotiation Issues
Presentation by the LDC Co-ordinator of the Geneva based LDC Ambassadors. The Co-ordinator will, from the perspective of the LDC Group in Geneva, provide a broad overview of the Doha agenda negotiation process and related issues and developments, including what the main issues for LDCs are and what the main constraints to making progress in the DDA are.
10.30 – 11.00 Tea/Coffee
11.00 – 12.30 Session II: Agriculture
As an introduction to this issue, a paper will be presented highlighting the key negotiation issues of interest to the LDC Group, the current state of negotiations and possible strategies and approaches for the period leading to the conclusion of the negotiations on negotiating modalities. The meeting will discuss in detail the elements of the Agriculture Framework and ways to safeguard LDC interests in the negotiations process, and in particular with regard to their developmental needs and special and differential treatment provisions.
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch
13.30 – 15.00 Session III: Non-Agricultural Market Access
A paper will be presented which will outline the main issues of relevance in NAMA to LDCs. Discussions on this issue will identify and assess progress in the negotiations on the NAMA modalities. These aspects include the formula and flexibilities, Duty Free Quota Free Market Access and Rules of Origin and Special and Differential treatment for developing countries, sectoral tariff liberalisation, preferences, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, non-tariff barriers and other NAMA issues.
15.00 – 15.30 Tea/Coffee
15.30 – 16.30 Session IV: Services
This session will take stock of the progress in the negotiations in Trade in Services, and in particular the role and contribution of the LDC group to the negotiations process..
16.30 – 17.30 Session V: Trade Facilitation
Participants will review the progress made in WTO negotiations on Trade Facilitation. In particular, the meeting will identify, and specify, the needs and priorities of LDC states to be addressed in the negotiations in this area.
17:30 – 18:30 Session VI: Special and Differential Treatment and Rules and Other Issues
An issues paper will outline progress made in WTO negotiations on Special and Differential Treatment (S&D). Discussions will be mainly on how to achieve consensus on the consideration and adoption of LDC specific S&D proposal.
This session will take stock of the progress in the Rules negotiations area including the current draft compromise text and will also consider related Rules issues in Agriculture, NAMA, S&D, Services and Trade Facilitation.
18:30 Finalising and Adopting the Draft Declaration
The meeting will finalise and adopt the draft Declaration to be presented to the Ministers.
Circulation of the Draft Declaration
20.00 – 21.30 Cocktail
Day 2: Ministers Meeting
10.00 – 11.00 Official Opening
Opening address by The Right Honourable the Prime Minister Mr. Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho.
11.00 – 11.30 Tea/Coffee
11.30 – 13.00 Ministerial Meeting - Consideration of the Officials Report and Draft Declaration
The Chair of the Senior Officials will present the Report and the Draft Declaration for consideration by the Ministers. The Ministers will then consider a plan of action to follow up the LDC Ministerial Meeting which will canvas support for the LDC positions on issues in the run-up to the WTO consultations scheduled for March/April in Geneva and thereafter.
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14.30 – 18.00 Dedicated session on: Aid for trade, EIF and STDF.
19.30 – 21.30 Working Dinner: Informal dialogue with the WTO Director General on DDA and Aid for Trade ( Ministers Only)
Dinner for Officials
Day 3
Informal Session on LDCs and the Multilateral Trading Environment
09:00 – 09:30 Registration
09:30 – 10:30 Opening Session
Welcoming Remarks by Hon. Popane Lebesa MP, Minister of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing Lesotho and Chairman of the WTO LDC Group.
10:30 – 11:00 Tea/Coffee
11:00 – 13:00 Open Discussion with negotiating Partners, Invited Heads of International Organisations and Other Invited Guests on WTO DDA , Aid for Trade and EIF
This will be a high level interactive session between LDC ministers and representatives of their cooperating partners and international Agencies on issues related to the DDA negotiations, Aid for Trade and EIF. Each guest will be given about ten minutes to address the Honourable Ministers.
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 18:00 Adoption of the Declaration and Closing
(LDCs Ministers and Officials only)
19:30 - 2130 Dinner