18 December: The Final Day
The final day. Delegates have been up all night in final sessions. We NGOs wait with baited breath for the outcome of their deliberations. There are suggestions that a final text will not be available until 19:00.
I receive a phone call that a press briefing by the UK delegation has been scheduled for 16:00. I hurry to the briefing room to find it's been postponed until 18:00 but copies of the final draft text are being handed out by delegates. The NGO Centre suddenly becomes alive with activity, as endless quantities of the text are photocopied. NGOs scrutinise the text and compare it with the previous revise. Feverish activity on the computers as they draft reactions for the press and others they are advising.
I grab a copy. A date of 2013 seems to have been agreed for the elimination of agricultural export subsidies, to be achieved in stages with a substantial part realised by the end of the first half of the implementation period for the Doha round. Text on industrial tariffs also seems agreed, as does services - the three market access sticking points. The trade facilitation text remains unaltered, as it has done all week.
The Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath calls the first press conference, closely followed by the G20 group of leading developing countries led by Celso Amorim of Brazil. The general mood seems to be positive. No one got everything they wanted but there seems enough for all to accept. The main outstanding point concerns domestic subsidies for cotton production, although there are rumours that the G90 group of least developed and other poorer countries may have some other concerns. It's not yet over.
The final Heads of Delegation meeting is fixed for 18:00. An SMS message comes through on my phone suggesting a time for the closing ceremony of 19:30. The UK press briefing is put back to 20:00.
Hopefully agreement will be reached in the next couple of hours. There is nothing else we can do. I head to the airport.
Malcolm McKinnon - Sun, 18 Dec 2005 11:45:00 GMT
17 December: Trapped!
Little new happening inside the HKCEC, as we wait for the promised first revision of the draft text. More activity outside the Centre as farm protests gather strength. I leave for a lunch outside the Centre.
On return I find access to the Centre is substantially tightened and road closures implemented, including all the main east-west arteries through Wan Chai. Security is widespread, and the noise of protesters' drums dominates.
I find a way inside the Centre and obtain a copy of the first revision. I ask people I recognise what they think of it. Business is disappointed with the text, and think the part on industrial tariffs has gone backwards compared to a few months ago. The text on services is weakened, but not as much as the G90 were asking for.
The protesters step up their action and make a rush for the Centre, breaching the police lines. The Centre is sealed - no one in or out. I'm trapped inside! People wander around not knowing what else to do.
At 21:00 I attend the WTO Secretariat's press briefing on the first revision. While that is on the streets are brought back under control and the Centre is reopened. I leave to find the Wan Chai area eerily empty and police lines everywhere. I walk back to the hotel, watching the public taking pictures of themselves in normally fast moving streets. A standoff lasts several hours. I watch West Ham lose to Newcastle on TV!
Malcolm McKinnon - Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:05:00 GMT
16 December: A Step Backwards?
This morning's press reports quote Peter Mandelson as saying the talks are going backwards, notably on services. A new text presented by the G90 countries would significantly water down the text if accepted. The business lobby puts the case for retention of "Annex C" as it is.
Attended another round table discussion on trade facilitation organised by the World Bank, chaired by Kunio Mikuriya of the World Customs Organisation. A series of good presentations - the best of the fringe meetings I have been to.
Joined the new Head of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Division that oversees UN/CEFACT to a reception hosted by the ITC.
Malcolm McKinnon - Fri, 16 Dec 2005 15:23:00 GMT
16 December: In Pictures
Malcolm has sent back a selection of photos from Hong Kong. The pictures are now available in the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference Photo Gallery.
Paul Hiscock - Fri, 16 Dec 2005 11:53:00 GMT
15th December: Here Comes The Sun
The sun has finally broken through the cloud base that has covered Hong Kong in gloom so far this week. But no similar breakthrough at the negotiations! Last night's Green Room process was reported by one delegation has having made no progress at all. TV reports this morning suggest a deal this week is unlikely - hopefully this is just to create drama and that the week will end with a last minute deal.
The European Services Forum and the Coalition of Service Industries held a joint meeting this morning attended by several advocates of trade facilitation. This showed the frustration of business in the Doha round not moving ahead sufficiently in areas of real economic importance to all countries. Met many of my former services colleagues.
At the meeting, identified a journalist in my hotel as representing the BBC. Good opportunity taken to plug TF.
Malcolm McKinnon - Thu, 15 Dec 2005 05:03:00 GMT
14th December (ctd): Enter the Green Room
Attended GBD meeting on trade facilitation. GBD is a US business organisation based in Washington that lobbies on trade agreements. They have been running a series of trade seminars this week. Today's was essentially a lobby in favour of trade facilitation and the implementation via the WTO of the revised Kyoto Convention of the WCO. Key message was that the work for Hong Kong had already been done, but as it was an issue of interest to all WTO Members it could be delinked from the rest of the Doha round. I spoke about the work of SITPRO through the Boksburg Group in helping business and governments from developing countries get to grips with the negotiations. Good platform for us and made some further useful contacts to follow up.
Attended UNICE's daily briefing later today urging more progress on services, NAMA and trade facilitation. This followed up the earlier meeting with Pascal Lamy.
Otherwise, negotiations seem to have moved away from the public arena into the so-called Green Room process of informal consultations between key countries facilitated by the WTO Director General.
Malcolm McKinnon - Wed, 14 Dec 2005 15:53:00 GMT
14 December: Happy Birthday
What a way to spend your birthday! Jet lag kicked in during the night and I was wide awake at 2:00 am - but not by the morning! The trams were not stopping near HKCEC this morning due to more expected demo's, so had a brisk walk with a former colleague - useful exercise after breakfast!
Listened to the plenary speeches by Rob Portman (USTR), Peter Mandelson and Alan Johnson for the UK Presidency. Portman saved an announcement of a doubling of US aid for trade for this morning. Mandelson expressed disappointment at reaction to EU offer on agriculture and called for more to be put on the table on industrial goods, services and trade rules. Everyone needed to know what they would get for what they would give.
Attended very full meeting organised by UNICE with Pascal Lamy in which I plugged the case for TF. Lamy said Doha negotiations had reached 50% of the way last year, but had moved only another 5% since then. Another incremental move forward was needed, if only by another few %. Otherwise risk of backsliding. On TF he noted negotiations in extremely good shape. Those who had called for TF to be included in DDA had done very good work. He confirmed that Ambassador Noor of Malaysia (Chair of WTO Negotiating Group) had been recalled and a search was on for a new chair that needed to be as able, competent and efficient. UNICE handed over a statement that included a good piece on TF. I established contacts with other TF supporters.
Lunched with the US Chamber of Commerce. Watched patrol boats near the Centre there to prevent a repeat of yesterday's waterborne demo. Like other mobile users, am receiving free SMS messages, latest of which has reported protestors massing in Admiralty area for march to consulates.
This pm there is another fringe meeting with the Global Business Dialogue on trade facilitation and capacity building.
Malcolm McKinnon - Wed, 14 Dec 2005 06:33:00 GMT
13 December (ctd): Instant Access
Had been warned to expect half hour queues to get into HKCEC, but access well controlled but instant. Security is strict but everything well organised. Chinese music greeting arrivals at the NGO Centre. Those of us inside the Centre not even aware of the demo's taking place outside and reported in the press.
Symposium on aid for trade well attended and the centrepiece of this morning's events. Hilary Benn spoke for the UK Government and reports I picked up afterwards were extremely complimentary.
Attended a fringe meeting organized by the logistics industry and the TFA to promote services liberalisation and trade facilitation. Essentially a meeting of like-minded organisations. Negotiators explained ideas on how plurilateral services negotiations might operate next year. I supported everything the TFA presentation covered.
News came through on someone's Blackberry that the Opening Ceremony been disrupted by a few protestors who had earlier queued for some of the 200 NGO access tickets made available.
Listened to Pascal Lamy's closing day press conference. Disappointed to hear him say that the week would need to concentrate only on agriculture, industrial goods and development, as negotiators could not cover everything. Asked about services, he appeared to say that the draft text was sufficiently detailed and needed little negotiating attention. No mention of trade facilitation - no matter so long as A text is agreed by the end of the week.
Met up with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.
Malcolm McKinnon - Tue, 13 Dec 2005 15:34:00 GMT
13 December 2005: The Big Day
'The Big Day', as the South China Morning Post put it. Today's highlights will be the Opening Ceremony at 15:00 which will be webcast live and another demonstration to the east of the Conference Centre. The papers ironically have commented that the mood of protesters seems somewhat subdued, as the lack of momentum expected at the talks suggests that they will have nothing to try to stop! There was another piece on BBC World about the impact loss of ag subsidies would have on rural communities in France. But one small trader, not involved in farming, was shown successfully making a living out of making accordions - a sign of the future??
Opening words from negotiators yesterday shows little willingness to move. Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is quoted as having said that the EU has already agreed to put agricultural subsidies into decline and will not move further, while Kamal Nath (Indian Trade Minister) was also on TV this morning saying that now the EU had decided to stop doing what it shouldn't have been doing anyway others were being asked to pay for this. It is, however, just the beginning of the week.
Met up with another British business contact at my hotel and went together to the CBI briefing at the Conrad Hotel. Reminded Sir Digby Jones that our interest was in trade facilitation, on which the current draft text was fine but we needed at least AN agreed text by the end of the week to mandate drafting of an agreement next year.
Malcolm McKinnon - Tue, 13 Dec 2005 04:24:00 GMT
12 December 2005 (ctd): What goes around, comes around
The NGO orientation briefing was well attended, even though expectations were that today would be the peak arrival day. We will get daily WTO briefings from 14th December and some will have access to today's opening ceremony and subsequent Ministers speeches. All plenary proceedings are being webcast. We were told that the HKCEC is booked until the 18th December with no extension possible.
The briefing was preceded by Oxfam presenting Pascal Lamy with a 17 million petition to make trade fair. According to a press report, Lamy had himself signed the petition when European Trade Commissioner. I think I even heard him say so. What goes around, comes around!
Left quantities of our leaflets in both the NGO Centre and the Press Centre. One NGO quipped that I was learning quickly how to operate as an NGO at a Ministerial! No one asking for interviews yet though!
Going back to the hotel, realized how tight security had got during the day. The Star Ferry pier at Wan Chai and several local bus routes have been suspended. Iron barricades are everywhere together with heightened police presence.
Met up with the ICC and Trade Facilitation Alliance tonight. Then had dinner with the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise in Central district - the heart and soul of Hong Kong. Fascinating to walk part of the way back to my hotel through stunning, modern shopping malls and the floodlit skyscraper skyline that is Hong Kong at night.
Malcolm McKinnon - Mon, 12 Dec 2005 15:55:00 GMT
12 December 2005: Brunch with the NGOs
This morning's local papers headline a peaceful demonstration by anti-globalisation protestors, described as a colourful party and certainly TV coverage looked similar to the Notting Hill carnival. There are plans for a bigger demonstration tomorrow.
Went to the UK Government's brunch meeting for NGOs this morning at the British Consulate General. Agriculture continues to look difficult but may not be the only potential sticking point as there seem to be problems with both NAMA and services. I continue to argue that TF could bring similar level of welfare gains as liberalisation of agriculture.
Otherwise, not a lot happening today. Went to the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) to get familiarised with layout and facilities for registered NGOs. WTO is giving NGOs an operational briefing at 15:00. Left a quantity of leaflets at the NGO Centre - and some have already been taken. But still need to find a way of getting our message across to delegates, to whom we have limited access, and press.
Malcolm McKinnon - Mon, 12 Dec 2005 04:44:00 GMT
11 December 2005: Hong Kong Efficiency
Arrived in HK 16:20 after one of the smoothest, ie no turbulence, flights for a long time. Again, no one I knew on board. Passage through the new Hong Kong International Airport was incredibly well organised, with MC6 helpers on hand everywhere in their smart turquoise uniforms. Even Customs waved us through with a smile and a wave! The airport was not that busy - they expect the main rush of arrivals to take place tomorrow.
Went straight to hotel, checked in and then straight out again to the famous Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a reception thrown by the express delivery operators, here to promote TF and services negotiations. (The hotel was famous for hosting celebs such as the Beatles, but is about to be closed for 8 months for an extensive refurbishment.) Met people from UPS, Fedex, DHL and TNT, Ambassador Noor of Malaysia, and others such as the WCO. Handed out the first batch of SITPRO leaflets. All recognise that the text on TF is good but a mandate for text-based negotiations is dependent on getting a text out at all by the end of the week.
Later, went to the Hong Kong Central Library for official accreditation - another example of HK efficiency - and took one of Hong Kong's famous DD trams back to the hotel.
Malcolm McKinnon - Sun, 11 Dec 2005 16:00:00 GMT
10 December 2005: Passing Through Heathrow
Am in the departure lounge at Heathrow, waiting for the 20:25 flight to Hong Kong and the WTO Ministerial meeting. An earlier BA flight went hour and a half ago and there's another one due at a similar interval after mine. Quite a frequency!
Much to my surprise, the departure lounge is relatively empty and there's no one here I recognise. You would have thought that with 6,000 Government delegates and up to 9,000 accredited NGO representatives descending upon Hong Kong over the next few days from all over the world there'd have been at least one.
They've just called my flight, so I'm off to the gate. Maybe I'll spot people there.
Malcolm McKinnon - Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:37:00 GMT
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