. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/W/162
6 April 2001
(01-1759)
Committee on Agriculture
Special SessionOriginal:  Spanish
SEVENTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
26-28 MARCH 2001
Statement by Colombia
Taking stock of the First Phase
As far as Colombia is concerned, the outcome of this first phase of negotiations is positive.
We have discussed 44 negotiating proposals, more than 90 statements have been circulated and the
Secretariat has prepared close on 30 papers.  Proposals of every kind have been made:  from the mosttimid, which reflect little reformist initiative and seem to take a step backwards, through those which
propose moderate reductions in protection and subsidies, to the most ambitious proposals, where the
final objective is full and definitive liberalization of the agricultural sector.
This range of proposals presents a singular challenge to the multilateral trading system and to
the Members of this Organization:  to make sure that the outcome of these negotiations will level the
playing field and that we will obtain a fairer and market-oriented agricultural sector.  There can be no
other objective.
Our view of the exercise that has just been completed, and we shall not be exhaustive, is the
following:
(a) With few exceptions, the desire to reform and liberalize the agricultural sector is quite
clear from the majority of the proposals submitted.  While some approaches are less
ambitious than others, the starting point seems to be a common one:  an agricultural
sector that is less distorted by subsidies and protection.
(b) The will to negotiate of one of the WTO Members that most protects and supports its
agriculture.
(c) The high degree of participation by the developing countries through excellent
negotiating proposals and active interventions throughout the special sessions.
(d) The call by many developing countries to incorporate further special and differential
treatment elements and that such treatment be taken into account during the
negotiations, as established in the Preamble and in Article 20 of the Agreement on
Agriculture.
(e) The suggestion for new negotiating topics which go beyond the scope of the
Agreement and which seeks to introduce distortive elements in agricultural trade
without taking account of their adverse impact, especially on the developing
countries.G/AG/NG/W/162
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(f) The excellent work of the Secretariat.  The support documents have been a keystone
in furthering the discussions in this first phase and will undoubtedly contribute to the
technical work we shall be starting soon.
(g) The work of the Chairman of the Committee, whom we wish to congratulate and to
thank for his hard work in the past year, which has borne fruit in the success of this
first phase of the negotiations.
Accordingly, in this second phase we should bring together all these proposals through
transparent non-exclusive technical work that will provide a balanced response to the interests of all
Members, especially the developing countries.
Special and differential treatment and other topics of interest to the developing countries are
essential.  In this connection, the technical work should address such matters as:  improved market
access opportunities for products of interest to the developing countries, particularly tropical products
and those obtained from diversifying away from illegal crops, differential modalities in market access
commitments and the special safeguard for the developing countries.
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