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> agriculture negotiations

News  back to top

Introduction  back to top

Introduction to the cotton initiative
Links to the section on the cotton initiative in the Agriculture negotiations backgrounder, a briefing document explaining current agricultural issues raised before and in the current negotiations.

Explanation of the decision establishing the Sub-Committee on Cotton

Mandate  back to top

• Sub-committee’s work programme 22 March 2005 (TN/AG/SCC/1).
    
• Sub-committee established: in the agriculture negotiations — 19 November 2004 Agriculture Committee (Special Session) decision setting up the Cotton Sub-Committee (TN/AG/13).
    
• “Framework” and decision to set up a sub-committee: The 1 August 2004 General Council decision on the Doha Development Agenda (WT/L/579, section on the agriculture negotiations). (See also the general section on both the agriculture negotiations and development issues)
    
• Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration

Proposals and drafts  back to top

• African Group: Proposed Elements of Modalities in Connection with the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton, 22 April 2005 (TN/AG/SCC/GEN/2)

• Drafts: The agriculture talks’ chairs’ draft texts include sections on cotton. The drafts and explanations are here

Sub-Committee documents  back to top

Other documents  back to top

• General Council — Director-General’s periodic report on Implementation of the Development Assistance Aspects of the Cotton-related Decisions in the July Package (WT/GC/83, 3 December 2004) and contributions by proponents, bilateral donor members, and multilateral/regional agencies (WT/GC/83/Add.1, 3 December 2004)
    
• WTO African Regional Workshop on Cotton in Cotonou, Benin, 23–24 March 2004: Report by the Secretariat (WT/L/587) and summary conclusions (WT/L/564)

Origins  back to top

• Proposed revision of Cancún draft’s paragraph 27: WT/GC/W/516, 7 October 2003, “Poverty Reduction: Sectoral Initiative on Cotton” proposed by Benin to the General Council. Benin’s statement in the 21 October 2003 General Council meeting is in WT/GC/74, 10 November 2003
    
• Cancún draft ministerial declaration: paragraph 27 of the 13 September 2003 draft
    
• Four African countries’ proposed decision for the Cancún Ministerial Conference: “Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton” — originally TN/AG/GEN/6, 4 August 2003, proposed in the agriculture negotiations by Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. The four resubmitted this as Cancún Ministerial Conference document WT/MIN(03)/W/2, 15 August 2003. They added an additional annex, their “Draft Decision Concerning Specific Measures in Favour of Cotton with a View to Poverty Alleviation” originally submitted to the 25–26 August 2003 General Council for the Cancún Ministerial Conference (WT/GC/W/511, 22 August 2003). (This was annexed by ministerial document WT/MIN(03)/W/2/Add.1, 3 September 2003)
    
• The original proposal: “Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton” — TN/AG/GEN/4, 16 May 2003, submitted in the agriculture negotiations by Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, and presented to the Trade Negotiations Committee by President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, 10 June 2003 (see text)