WTO Ministerial Prep.pdf

The US submission to the WTO General Council discusses preparations for the 1999 Ministerial Conference, focusing on mandated negotiations and the built-in agenda. The US aims to build consensus among members to develop recommendations for ministers on the work program's scope, structure, and time frames. Key points include:

Ensuring full and effective implementation of existing agreements and decisions
Pursuing additional work and liberalization
Substantial preparatory work has been done to ensure negotiations will start on schedule
Recommendations for ministers should include negotiating objectives and detailed plans
The existing time frames and modalities established in current agreements should be taken into account

Regarding mandated negotiations, the US proposes the following for the Agreement on Agriculture:

Expanding market access opportunities through further reductions in support and protection
Strengthening rules governing trade in agriculture
Eliminating remaining export subsidies
Reducing trade-distorting domestic support
Addressing new challenges to the agricultural sector, including measures that unjustifiably distort international trade.