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<DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=twnet@po.jaring.my
href="mailto:twnet@po.jaring.my">Third World Network</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><A
href="http://www.twnside.org.sg">www.twnside.org.sg</A><o:p></o:p></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P><o:p><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>Developing countries voice concerns
at WTO General Council<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>Published in SUNS #6164 dated 18
December 2006<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG> </STRONG></FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG> </STRONG></FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>At the last WTO General Council
meeting in 2006, held on 14-15 December</STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>in Geneva, many developing countries
and their groupings made statements</STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>on the state of the Doha
negotiations.</STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>They stressed the importance of
respecting the </STRONG></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>development dimension as </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>central to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Doha</st1:City></st1:place> negotiations.</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>All the major groupings of developing countries - including the
G20, G33,</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>NAMA-11, the African Group, LDC Group, ACP Group and small and
</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>vulnerable economies - made
statements at the General Council meeting.<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=3><STRONG> <o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>A common theme in most of the statements was that the
developed</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>countries must make the main move to re-start the negotiations in
earnest, </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>that the development dimension is crucial, and that in the rush
to meet </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>deadlines, there should be no compromise with the principle that
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Doha</st1:City></st1:place>
</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>negotiations must put the developing countries' needs and
interests at the </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=3><STRONG>centre.<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=3><STRONG> <o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>In his report to the General Council, TNC Chair Pascal Lamy
</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>said that "an increasing level of engagement" is starting to
appear in </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>consultations by the Chairs of the negotiating groups. He
stressed the "need </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><STRONG>to maintain the rhythm of the informal work ... to exploit the
window of </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG>opportunity in the first quarter of
next year".<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></FONT><STRONG><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT></STRONG> </P>
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style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"></FONT></o:p> </P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>