Apr 17, 1985
DUNKEL SUPPORTS OECD CALLS FOR SENIOR OFFICIAL MEETING.
GENEVA, APRIL 15 (IFDA/CHAKRAVARTHI RAGHAVAN)— The GATT director-general Arthur Dunkel welcomed Monday the OECD Ministerial declaration for a preparatory meeting of GATT Contracting Parties at senior official level "to reach a broad consensus on the subject matter and modalities" for the launch of a new round of trade negotiations in GATT.-In their communique in Paris, the OECD Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the open multilateral trading system and their determination to strengthen it by further liberalisation.- A new round of trade negotiations in GATT, they said, would contribute significantly to achieving this objective.- "There was therefore agreement that such a round of negotiations should begin as soon as possible (some felt this should be in early 1986)".- The communique added: "Ministers agreed to propose to the Contracting Parties that a preparatory meeting of senior officials should take place in GATT before the end of the summer to reach a broad consensus on subject matter and modalities for such negotiations. Active participation of a significant number of developed and developing countries in such negotiations is considered essential".- At a press conference Monday, Dunkel said for such a meeting to take place, it would need the consensus of the Contracting Parties who now numbered ninety-one.- About its timing, Dunkel said in Geneva and outside July was mentioned for the meeting of the Contracting Parties at senior official level.- In agreeing to the call for a preparatory process, "we are beginning to leave the area of procedures and getting into the substance", Dunkel added.- Earlier, at his press conference seeking to promote the report of seven experts, chaired by Fritz Leutwiler, on future trade policies, Dunkel said he would be bringing the report officially before the GATT Council at its next meeting (tentatively set for May 1-2) and the consultative group of 18 (on May 6-7).- Dunkel said the report should be seen "a single entity".- While he envisaged "a lot of controversy" over its recommendation for an end to the special differential and preferential treatment to the Third World, in Dunkel’s view this should be considered within the other recommendations that called for an end to the discrimination against the Third World.- Among other things, Dunkel noted, the report had called for an end to the multifibre arrangement and application of GATT rules and principles to trade in the textiles and clothing sector.- They had also called for the establishment of a timetable and procedures to bring in conformity with GATT rules, voluntary export restraints, orderly marketing agreements, discriminatory import restrictions and other trade policy measures of both the Industrial and Third World countries which were inconsistent with GATT obligations.- In effect the report was telling the industrial countries that if they were serious in their declaration that the Third World countries should integrate themselves into the trading system "then make every effort to convince these developing countries that you are serious about strengthening the system and opening up your markets".- Unless the industrial countries took their responsibility of making the system work "you cannot convince the developing countries that it is in their interests to join the system".- The Paris OECD meeting of the main trading nations had expressed an opinion on the timing of the senior officials meeting.-It was important and urgent for these countries "to reach an understanding with their partners, so that these efforts might start under good auspices".-