Experts group meeting on Africa and the WTO agreement on Agriculture: aide-memoire and programme of work

Abstract

Experts Group Meeting on Africa and the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. The objective of this meeting is to explore in depth the major conceptual and policy issues which confront African countries in the negotiations on agriculture under the Post Doha agenda, encapsulating the three major interlinked concerns market access domestic support and export subsidy policies special provisions for developing nations and 'non trade' concerns- including food security, rural development and poverty reduction. This has critical implications for identifying, interpreting, evolving strategies, and making decisions on agriculture negotiations. This meeting is an integral part of efforts by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to assist African countries in the current round of multilateral trade negotiations launched at the Doha WTO Ministerial Conference in November 2001. The discussions in the Meeting will mainly focus on evaluation of the modalities adopted at the end of March 2003; identifying issues that require further collective negotiations by African countries in each of the areas of market access, export competition, domestic support measures and export subsidies, special and differential treatment provisions, and non-trade concerns. The Meeting will need to develop a Roadmap for African countries in the ongoing negotiations on the Agreement on Agriculture.