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.
£ | ||||
Market | Amounts at risk | Unrecovered claims | Moratorium interest | Total (incl. MI) |
Abu Dhabi | 25,792,665 | 0 | 0 | 25,792,665 |
Algeria | 47,412,908 | 143,703,262 | 0 | 191,116,169 |
Angola | 0 | 54,037,320 | 55,760,006 | 109,797,326 |
Anguilla | 135,735 | 0 | 0 | 135,735 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 0 | 3,197,134 | 0 | 3,197,134 |
Argentina | 14,507,659 | 34,097,429 | 2,973,142 | 51,578,230 |
Australia | 66,086,995 | 4,582,107 | 0 | 70,669,103 |
Austria | 16,597,685 | 0 | 0 | 16,597,685 |
Azerbaijan | 13,881,235 | 0 | 0 | 13,881,235 |
Bahrain | 142,282,270 | 69,466 | 0 | 142,351,736 |
Bangladesh | 65,208,062 | 0 | 0 | 65,208,062 |
Barbados | 6,807,567 | 0 | 0 | 6,807,567 |
Belgium | 85,408,750 | 9,956,409 | 0 | 95,365,159 |
Benin | 0 | 2,491,246 | 169,666 | 2,660,912 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 | 975,089 | 535,784 | 1,510,873 |
Brazil | 251,528,094 | 219,870,948 | 86,506,905 | 557,905,948 |
Brunei Darussalam | 85,784,186 | 0 | 0 | 85,784,186 |
Burma (Myanmar) | 0 | 23,053,590 | 0 | 23,053,590 |
Cameroon | 0 | 26,719,101 | 32,412,449 | 59,131,551 |
Canada | 246,479,473 | 787 | 0 | 246,480,260 |
Central African Republic | 0 | 144,746 | 198,513 | 343,259 |
Chile | 330,129,806 | 0 | 0 | 330,129,806 |
China | 1,802,641,883 | 0 | 0 | 1,802,641,883 |
Colombia | 16,479,702 | 0 | 0 | 16,479,702 |
Congo | 0 | 58,027,462 | 98,419,660 | 156,447,122 |
Congo, Democratic Republic of | 0 | 24,887,981 | 24,824,518 | 49,712,499 |
Costa Rica | 203,654 | 0 | 0 | 203,654 |
Cote D Ivoire | 539,974 | 24,067,789 | 10,304,976 | 34,912,738 |
Croatia | 43,263,244 | 55,560,452 | 3,486,477 | 102,310,173 |
Cuba | 0 | 52,619,660 | 52,349,579 | 104,969,239 |
Cyprus | 14,188,934 | 1,400 | 0 | 14,190,333 |
Denmark | 18,823,979 | 0 | 0 | 18,823,979 |
Dominica | 7,770,045 | 806,108 | 0 | 8,576,154 |
Dominican Republic | 44,520,996 | 0 | 0 | 44,520,996 |
EC Market n/k | 8,544,922 | 0 | 0 | 8,544,922 |
Ecuador | 0 | 28,693,116 | 31,560,208 | 60,253,324 |
Egypt | 98,596,530 | 138,460,494 | 18,319,561 | 255,376,585 |
Egypt (Business to 31/12/93) | 123,785 | 0 | 0 | 123,785 |
El Salvador | 51,228,945 | 0 | 0 | 51,228,945 |
Ethiopia | 0 | 10,996,464 | 437,028 | 11,433,492 |
Finland | 24,711,201 | 0 | 0 | 24,711,201 |
France | 12,811,724 | 86,752 | 0 | 12,898,476 |
Gabon | 0 | 75,090,151 | 56,957,478 | 132,047,629 |
Ghana | 73,442,414 | 39,440,596 | 834,664 | 113,717,673 |
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.