HONG KONG: An overwhelming majority of the World Trade Organisation members under the G-20 and G-90 coalitions are expected to take a common stand on the future of multilateral trade when they meet here on Friday.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told presspersons here on Thursday that the meeting of the grand coalition of 125 developing and least developing countries was significant as the member-countries accounted for about 80 per of the world's population. At the end of the meeting, the groups would state their common position.

The announcement of the grand coalition is expected to be crucial for the future course of the ongoing sixth ministerial conference on the Doha Development Round.

The six-day conference, which began here on Tuesday with what Mr. Kamal Nath described as "Hong Kong hype," is deadlocked with the developing countries insisting on firm commitments from the developed countries on reduction of farm subsidies and elimination of export subsidies. The developing countries have also said that there cannot be discussion on Non-Agricultural Market Access (industrial tariffs) and Services unless such commitments are made.

Breaking the deadlock assumed significance on Thursday, even as there were some indications of a revised draft of the ministerial declaration being announced on Friday.

Mr. Kamal Nath said the negotiations were being carried out almost non-stop. The underlying objective behind such initiatives was "put some movement on the text [ministerial declaration]." He hoped that text should be ready by Friday. The developing countries remained steadfast in their stand that the talks on agriculture could not move without an offer, to them, on the Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechanism.

Duty-free access

On the LDCs demand for a duty-free, quota-free access (package) from the developed countries, he said India supported their case, even while pointing out the U.S. and Japan wanted exceptions both in terms of the countries and the products.

Asked whether India would also make a similar offer to the LDCs, the Minister said: "We have worked on a package, which would be announced by next month."

During his meeting with Ignacio Walker Prieto, facilitator of "other issues" and Foreign Minister of Chile, Mr. Kamal Nath raised the issue of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Convention on Bio-Diversity (CBD). Harmonising the TRIPS agreement with CBD was vital to prevent bio-piracy. Such a move would also help check misappropriation of the traditional knowledge of developing countries.

India, along with several other developing countries rich in bio-diversity, had proposed an amendment to the TRIPS agreement.

An official release on the meeting of the Ministers said India wanted inclusion of three elements — disclosure of country of origin, prior informed consent and benefit sharing arrangement — in the amendment.

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