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Developing Countries

Volume 407: debated on Wednesday 25 June 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will propose (a) restrictions on the size of the delegations of rich countries to the WTO and GATS meetings, (b) that the money saved be passed directly to countries which cannot afford to send delegations to these meetings and (c) that the voting at these meetings be proportional to the size of the populations they represent. [120405]

The Government believe that it is important that all WTO Members are able to participate effectively in WTO negotiations. We are therefore working to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to participate in the WTO and in the international trading system. In doing so, we are helping developing countries and development agencies to build trade policy capacity in both national capitals and in Geneva, where many of the least-developed country Members of the WTO still have no permanent representation. Since 1997, we have committed £45 million to trade-related technical assistance and capacity building.

£
MarketAmounts at riskUnrecovered claimsMoratorium interestTotal (incl. MI)
Abu Dhabi25,792,6650025,792,665
Algeria47,412,908143,703,2620191,116,169
Angola054,037,32055,760,006109,797,326
Anguilla135,73500135,735
Antigua and Barbuda03,197,13403,197,134
Argentina14,507,65934,097,4292,973,14251,578,230
Australia66,086,9954,582,107070,669,103
Austria16,597,6850016,597,685
Azerbaijan13,881,2350013,881,235
Bahrain142,282,27069,4660142,351,736
Bangladesh65,208,0620065,208,062
Barbados6,807,567006,807,567
Belgium85,408,7509,956,409095,365,159
Benin02,491,246169,6662,660,912
Bosnia and Herzegovina0975,089535,7841,510,873
Brazil251,528,094219,870,94886,506,905557,905,948
Brunei Darussalam85,784,1860085,784,186
Burma (Myanmar)023,053,590023,053,590
Cameroon026,719,10132,412,44959,131,551
Canada246,479,4737870246,480,260
Central African Republic0144,746198,513343,259
Chile330,129,80600330,129,806
China1,802,641,883001,802,641,883
Colombia16,479,7020016,479,702
Congo058,027,46298,419,660156,447,122
Congo, Democratic Republic of024,887,98124,824,51849,712,499
Costa Rica203,65400203,654
Cote D Ivoire539,97424,067,78910,304,97634,912,738
Croatia43,263,24455,560,4523,486,477102,310,173
Cuba052,619,66052,349,579104,969,239
Cyprus14,188,9341,400014,190,333
Denmark18,823,9790018,823,979
Dominica7,770,045806,10808,576,154
Dominican Republic44,520,9960044,520,996
EC Market n/k8,544,922008,544,922
Ecuador028,693,11631,560,20860,253,324
Egypt98,596,530138,460,49418,319,561255,376,585
Egypt (Business to 31/12/93)123,78500123,785
El Salvador51,228,9450051,228,945
Ethiopia010,996,464437,02811,433,492
Finland24,711,2010024,711,201
France12,811,72486,752012,898,476
Gabon075,090,15156,957,478132,047,629
Ghana73,442,41439,440,596834,664113,717,673

WTO meetings generally operate on a consensus basis, with agreement reached only when all WTO Members are content with the outcome. As a result, occasions for formal voting are rare but, when they do occur, take place on the basis of one member, one vote, regardless either of the size of countries' populations or of their economic power within the international trading system.