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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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Press Release

No WTO agreement which damages the environment will be
signed at Hong Kong Ministerial Conference




Thursday, September 8, 2005

In response to press enquiries about a report today (September 8) quoting an non-governmental organisation (NGO) spokesman saying that they will lobby WTO members attending the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sixth Ministerial Conference (Hong Kong Ministerial Conference) to prevent the signing of agreement that will damage the environment at the Conference, a spokesman for the Trade and Industry Department (TID) clarified that no final WTO agreement would be signed at the coming Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.

"No final WTO agreement on the Doha Round Development Agenda (DDA) will be signed in Hong Kong. The DDA is expected to be concluded by 2006/7," the TID spokesman clarified.

"The WTO Sixth Ministerial Conference to be held in Hong Kong in December this year will be an important milestone in the course of the Doha Round trade negotiations. WTO members are working intensively on the DDA with a view to slashing subsidies, reducing tariff, non-tariff barriers, trade distorting measures in goods and agriculture products and hammering out WTO rules relating to anti-dumping and dispute settlement,"　the TID spokesman said.

With respect to environment, the agenda of the Doha Round emphasised the objectives of having sustainable development and enhancing the mutual supportiveness of trade and environment. This requires that any agreements relating to environment to be signed at the end of the Doha Round will benefit trade, the environment and development.

The TID spokesman said Hong Kong was working full steam ahead to make the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference a success to pave way for a successful conclusion of the DDA by 2006/07, which will be a huge boost to world trade and global prosperity.

"We will continue to maintain a dialogue with NGOs as well as with other groups, both locally and from overseas, in the run-up to and during the conference, with a view to facilitating their freedom of expression and conduct of orderly and peaceful demonstrations," the TID spokesman added.


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