Guide to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA)
The launch
In November 2001 Trade Ministers from 142 countries
launched a new round of world trade negotiations at
the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference, in Doha,
Qatar. The work programme that was adopted (known as
the Doha Development Agenda - DDA) envisaged a broad
round of trade negotiations, with the needs and interests
of developing countries placed at its heart.
The benefits of an ambitious round
An ambitious outcome from the Doha Development Agenda
would deliver substantial benefits to the global economy,
and in particular to developing countries:
·
An ambitious outcome to
the Doha round is essential for maximising the contribution
of trade to poverty reduction and lifting as many people
as possible out of poverty - with a potential to exceed
$200bn in global gains.
·
It has been estimated that halving
protection in agriculture, industrial goods and services
could boost developing country incomes by around $150bn
a year - three times the value of all aid budgets put
together.
·
Liberalised trade will also benefit
the UK as a leading trading nation. Opening up more
markets and cutting duties around the world will create
new opportunities for businesses and help consumers
- studies suggest that if we could cut by half world
protection in trade in goods and services, British households
would, on average, be better off by £500 a year.
What
the Doha Development Agenda covers:
Developing
Countries
A development
focused trade round presents the opportunity for many
people in developing countries to escape poverty. The
DDA commits WTO Members to take development needs into
account during negotiations, both in policy terms (such
as flexibility and commitments commensurate to level
of development) and also in the case of capacity building
and technical assistance. More information can be found at Developing countries and the
WTO.
Agriculture
The DDA declaration
committed WTO Members to negotiating substantial improvements in market access; reductions
of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export
subsidies; and substantial reductions in trade-distorting
domestic support.
More
information on is available on our agriculture page.
NAMA
The lowering
of tariffs is a central element of negotiations. The
DDA provides WTO members with the opportunity to negotiate
the substantial reduction, or better still elimination,
of tariffs, including high and peak duties, thus securing
easier access to each other’s markets. This will bring
an improved and more predictable trading environment
and stimulate trade, investment and growth for all WTO
members – not least developing countries who will find
it easier to trade among themselves as well as with
developed countries.
Services
The
DDA envisages further liberalisation of international
trade in services. It is for individual WTO governments
to choose which service sectors to liberalise and by
how much to do so. More information on services is available
on our services page.
The
Singapore Issues
The DDA provided for negotiations to go ahead within
the round on the four so-called Singapore Issues (trade
and competition, trade and investment, transparency
in Government procurement and trade facilitation) if
consensus amongst WTO Members could be reached to do
so. After a serious divergence
of views on the Singapore Issues became apparent at
the failed talks in Cancun, the Framework Agreement
sets out that Investment, Competition and Transparency
in Government Procurement will not form part of the
negotiations within the Doha Round.
However there was consensus to carry on negotiations
on trade facilitation.
Trade
Facilitation seeks to harmonise and simplify procedures
for trading across borders. Currently procedural barriers
to trade cost some $70bn per annum worldwide, and affect
SMEs and many developing countries disproportionately.
More information can be found on our trade facilitation
page.
Environment
Environment was included on the agenda of the 2001
Doha Ministerial, recognising for the first time the
important links between trade and environment. More
information can be found on our environment page.
6th WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong, December 2005
The
WTO talks in Hong Kong on 13-18 December 2005 made modest
progress towards delivering the ultimate goal of an
outcome to the Doha Development Agenda that will enable
developing countries to trade their way out of poverty.
The
progress included agreement to eliminate export subsidies
by 2013 and agreement on a development package, including
duty-free and quota-free access for the poorest countries
a major Aid for Trade package and action on cotton,
a key issue for West Africa in particular.
Where
we go from here
The
overall outcome at Hong Kong was disappointing, but
the steps that have been taken forward should provide
a springboard to conclude the Doha round. The UK has
made it clear all along that, as important as the development
package is, it is only a first step towards fairer trading
rules. We need to press forward and build on the momentum
created at Hong Kong to ensure that the Doha Development
Agenda delivers its development promise across all the
dossiers. The UK will do everything we can to play our
part in ensuring this happens.
Contact:
Liz Lalley
Tel: 020 7215 6029
Fax: 020 7215 2235
Email: liz.lalley@dti.gsi.gov.uk
