Doha Ministerial Draft

Doha Ministerial Draft: Services

Draft Declaration 26th September	Reactions to the Draft	Draft Declaration 27th October	Comments	Alternative Formulations Proposed
12. The mandated negotiations on trade in services are an important means of promoting the economic growth of all trading partners and the development of developing countries. We note with satisfaction the progress which has been made in these negotiations since their inception in January 2000, and the large number of proposals submitted by Members on a wide range of sectors and several horizontal issues, as well as on movement of natural persons. We reaffirm the Guidelines and Procedures for the Negotiations adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 28 March 2001 as the basis for continuing the negotiations with a view to achieving the objectives of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, as stipulated in the Preamble, Article IV and Article XIX of that Agreement.	Developing countries considered that the draft text was not too bad. It referred to the Guidelines and Procedures for the Negotiations on Trade in Services, which address a lot of the concerns of developing countries. However, the text was over optimistic: 'we note with satisfaction', references to 'progress'. Moreover, there was no mention of assessment, an issue of importance for developing countries.	15. The negotiations on trade in services shall be conducted with a view to promoting the economic growth of all trading partners and the development of developing countries. We recognize the work already undertaken in the negotiations, initiated in January 2000 under Article XIX of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, and the large number of proposals submitted by Members on a wide range of sectors and several horizontal issues, as well as on movement of natural persons. We reaffirm the Guidelines and Procedures for the Negotiations adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 28 March 2001 as the basis for continuing the negotiations, with a view to achieving the objectives of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, as stipulated in the Preamble, Article IV and Article XIX of that Agreement. Participants shall submit initial requests for specific commitments by … and initial offers by … .	The current paragraph on services can basically be maintained as it is with the inclusions indicated in bold in the next column.	15. The negotiations on trade in services shall be conducted with a view to promoting the economic growth of all trading partners and the development of developing countries. We recognize the work already undertaken in the negotiations, initiated in January 2000 under Article XIX of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, and the large number of proposals submitted by Members on a wide range of sectors and several horizontal issues, as well as on movement of natural persons. We confirm that greater emphasis shall be placed on the liberalization of sectors and modes of supply of export interest to developing and least developed countries, as provided for in Article IV.1c of GATS. We reaffirm the Guidelines and Procedures for the Negotiations adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 28 March 2001 as the basis for continuing the negotiations, with a view to achieving the objectives of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, as stipulated in the Preamble, Article IV and Article XIX of that Agreement. Negotiations shall be adjusted in accordance with progress in assessment. A first assessment shall therefore be conducted prior to the beginning of negotiations on specific commitments and on initial offers. Participants shall submit initial requests for specific commitments by … and initial offers by … .