India Calls For meaningful Package On Implementation, S&D Issues And Resolution Of TRIPS & Public Health Before Cancun
News and Updates
Press Information Bureau Government of India
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New Delhi: 23 June, 2003
India has called for a meaningful package on Implementation and Special and Differential (S&D) treatment issues as well as resolution of the TRIPS and Public Health issue before Cancun as these constitute some of the cardinal elements of the Doha Work Programme as far as the developing countries are concerned.
Pointing to the considerable dissatisfaction at the delay in finding solution to problems raised by developing countries, India's intervention during the Session on Development Issues at the informal meeting of the WTO trade ministers hosted by Egypt at Sharm El-Sheikh on 22 June said: 'We must not lose sight of the implementation issues on which we had taken certain decisions at Doha. Some of them, which have great commercial value for developing countries, had been referred to WTO bodies for finalisation and implementation. We would expect positive results on some of these issues before Cancun. I refer in particular to the operationalisation of Article 15 of the Anti-Dumping Agreement on which recommendations were due by November last year, cooperation between customs administrations for the prevention of fraud, which was to be resolved by December last year and our proposals relating to the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, due for decision by 31 July 2002. I would request the Chairman, General Council and the DG/WTO to ensure that a process is also set in motion to ensure completion of this and other unfinished work before Ministers meet again at Cancun'.
With regard to S&D issues, it noted that there appeared to be some progress with the WTO General Council categorising under three heads specific issues raised by developing and least developed countries rather than broad cross-cutting issues and expressed the hope that this new exercise would yield concrete results before Cancun. The statement of the Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Arun Jaitley was read out by Shri S.N. Menon, Additional Secretary, as the Minister had to leave on 22 June to join the Prime Minister in Beijing.