As the Chancellor set out in his statement to the International Monetary and Financial Committee on 22 April 2006, the international community must grasp the opportunity presented by the Doha Development Agenda of world trade talks to achieve an ambitious outcome, by the end of 2006, that will make a real contribution to poverty reduction.
The need for a fairer trading global trading system was a key message of the UK presidency reflected in the communiqués of the G8 Finance Ministers in June 2005, the G8 Heads of State at Gleneagles in July 2005 and G7 Finance Ministers in December 2005. G8 Finance Ministers reiterated this message in their June 2006 communiqué, where they agreed:
“on the importance for global growth of an ambitious outcome from the Doha Development Round and recognise that urgent progress is needed for its achievement. Many developing countries also need substantial aid for trade to help them take advantage of general trade liberalisation”.
As set out in the 2006 Budget, the UK Government continue to work with fellow EU and WTO member states towards an ambitious and pro-development conclusion to the Doha Round that would: substantially increase market access for developing countries; substantially reduce all trade-distorting domestic support; and provide effective special and differential treatment to enable developing countries to capture the gains from trade. All WTO members need to maintain commitment to the Round so that we can deliver on the promises of Doha without lowering the level of ambition.
To this end Treasury Ministers and officials have conversations and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development, analysis and delivery.