JOB/AG/66  
 
11 December 2015  
(15-6570) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session    
 
 COMMITTEE ON AGRICUL TURE IN SPECIAL SESS ION:  
INFORMAL MEETING, 11  DECEMBER 2015  
REPORT BY THE CHAIR  
1. Welcome to this, the last meeting of the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session 
(CoASS) in  our Geneva preparatory process for MC10.  
2. As is customary, I will provide my assessment of where we stand in the negotiations and 
then I  will seek yours. I will also give Members the opportunity to introduce their new written 
submissions, of which we have three from: the G33 on the SSM; the Philippines on Export 
Competition; and Canada also on Export Competition.  
3. Let me begin with my assessment of where we stand in our negotiations. As is customary, 
I will structure my comments in the usual manner: context; process; and substance.  
Context  
4. My consultations since our l ast CoASS have , as always , been informed by four inter -related 
principles which I enunciated some time ago as a way to contextualise our ongoing negotiations.  
5. These are: 1) that Members' engagement on all of the issues is entirely without prejudice to 
their position on the overall Nairobi package or to what the post -Nairobi agenda might look like; 
2) that we work on all areas in parallel; 3) that there is no presumption of convergence ; and 
4) that we respect transparency.  
6. I believe these working principles have served us well these past months.  
Process  
7. In terms of process, since the last CoA SS on 18 November, we have  together intensified 
our work.  
8. For my part, I have held many bilateral consultations – at last count over 145 such 
meetings, supplemented by c onsultations in variable geometry on a range of issues.  
9. I have also conducted 17 larger format –type meetings, as follows:  
 on 19 and 27 November, and 2, 4 and 5 December on Export Competition;  
 on 24 November, and 1 and 5 December on the Special Safeguard Me chanism;  
 on 23 and 26 November, and 1, 3, 4 and 7 December on Cotton; and  
 on 25 and 30 November, and 5 December on Public Stockholding, which is on a separate 
track from the wider negotiation.  
10. In addition, the 4th Dedicated Discussion on Cotton took place on 26 November.  JOB/AG/66  
 
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  11. Most recently, and following our work on the weekend, I also held meetings with the 
Group  Coordinators to discuss all the issues on the table on 3 and 8 December.  
Substance  
12. On Domestic Support  and Market Access , there has been regretfully n o evolution in the 
substantive positions of Members. My conclusion remains that an outcome in these areas is now 
a near impossibility for Nairobi.  
13. As with all of our negotiations, my objective in Export Competition  was to initiate 
a text-based negotiation process. We worked together on this in an exhausti ve and exhausting 
negotiation. I have been very pleased by the large number of written contributions that have 
emerged in the past three weeks on this subject, in addition to numerous comments and positions  
expressed during my various consultations.  
14. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, convergence remains elusive. Judging by the 
negotiations to date, my assessment remains that an outcome for Export Competition is possible 
in this area and from what I hav e heard from you Members is that any outcome should:  
- include meaningful (in relative terms) disciplines on export competition issues that we do 
not currently possess;  
- be derived as far as possible from Rev4;  
- respect longstanding and well known defen sive redlines; and  
- acknowledge that not all offensive interests can be secured.  
15. Against this background, I remain hopeful that next week our Ministers can deliver us some 
guidance on for the possible outcomes in export competition.  
16. In terms of the other issues we are working on, the G33 has recently tabled three proposals 
on the Special Safeguard Mechanism . Since the circulation of the first two papers by the G33, 
a total of five consultations were organized. We will also have a chance to hear this mornin g about 
the G33 's most recent proposal tabled earlier this week.  
17. In all of my consultations to date there has been a consistency of positioning. 
The proponents of the SSM have stressed that they consider this instrument to be a balancing 
element in relatio n to other potential outcomes for Nairobi.  
18. Other Members have expressed strong opposition to the idea of an outcome on SSM at 
MC10 in the absence of a broader outcome on agriculture market access.  
19. Given these sustained and deeply divided views, my conclusi on remains as it was when we 
last met in the CoASS format: negotiations on this issue have reached an impasse.  
20. What is clear is that Members are now expecting Ministers to need to engage on this matter 
and for them to give us some guidance on what is possi ble. 
21. With regard to Public Stockholding , which is of course on a separate negotiating track, 
I held several larger and smaller group meetings on this subject since we last met. These involved, 
at various points, close to 40 Members, including group coordin ators and were based on the two 
new proposals from the G33 on the one hand and Australia, Canada, and Paraguay on the other.  
22. Unfortunately, and despite a willingness by both sides to address some of the concerns 
raised, there is still no convergence on thi s issue.  
23. As with the SSM and with Export Competition, what is clear is that there is an expectation 
that Ministers will now need to be engaged on this in Nairobi.  JOB/AG/66  
 
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  24. In the meantime, as I have said previously, Members have a mandate to fulfil on this 
subject,  both from the Bali Ministerial in 2013 and from the General Council in 2014. The former 
set a deadline for MC11 for resolution of this matter, while the latter instructed Members to make 
all concerted efforts to that end by the end of this month.  
25. Let me r emind you too that our Saturday 5 December negotiations have delivered a set of 
compilation texts on all three components based on the propos als received from delegations. 
These have now been circulated to Members in documents JOB/AG/61, JOB/AG/62 and 
JOB/AG/63.  
26. Let me just emphasise that these texts are entirely in square brackets and, of course, 
without prejudice to the position of any Member or to the content/nature/format of any final 
outcome at the Ministerial Conference.  
27. Let me now turn to  Cotton . As I trust is well understood, my strong view remains that 
cotton must – must - be part of any outcome from the 10th Ministerial Conference – not least 
because of the expected benefits for LDC Members.  
28. To this end, I held intensive consultations both in the c lassical cotton quadrilateral ("quad")1 
and q uadrilateral plus ("quad plus")2 formats, as well in a "quad extended" format with close to 
40 participating Members. I am pleased to advise that as a result of your work, we do have a draft 
text for a possible Ministerial Decision on cotton at the Nairobi Ministerial Conference.  
29. This draft text (document JOB/AG/64) has been circulated to you on 9  December  2015. 
It includes, in addition to a preamble, three elements – market access, domestic support, and 
export c ompetition , as well as a section on development components and provisions on monitoring 
and follow -up. 
30. This text represents the maximum level of convergence that could be reached in Geneva. 
On market access the text is now stabilized. It includes different iated engagements by Members to 
grant duty -free and quota -free market access for cotton and cotton -related products originating 
from LDCs, informed by a list attached to the draft text.  
31. On Export Competition  for cotton, all Members agree on what the soluti on will be in the 
context of a wider outcome on Export Competition in Nairobi, which by the way remains my 
working hypothesis.  
32. Unfortunately, despite strenuous efforts, the section on Domestic Support  has not been 
concluded. The C4 maintains its proposal w hereas some other Members continue to insist that this 
proposal is not doable. Several alternatives have been canvassed, including Standstill, 
Due restraint or Best endeavours -type approaches. Unfortunately, convergence has still not been 
possible.  
33. Neverth eless, the options are clear for Ministers and I believe that the text they have in 
front of  them will serve to inform their negotiations and I am confident that Ministers will de liver 
an outcome in this area.  
34. Before I invite Members to introduce their wri tten submissions and to give us their 
assessment of  where matters stand ahead of the Nairobi Ministerial, I wanted to brief you in this 
format on a  process that the Director -General has been convening over the past few days.  
35. I have briefed Group Coordinato rs on this already twice this week, but I thought it important 
that the wider membership also hears about what has occurred.  
36. Briefly, I was invited to take part in a series of consultations convened by the Director -
General and involving Ambassadors. These have covered the three areas of SSM, 
Public  Stockholding and Export Competition.  
                                                
1 C4 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali), Brazil, th e European Union and the United States.  
2 Quad participants  plus Argentina, Australia, China, Colombia, India and Pakistan.  JOB/AG/66  
 
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  37. The discussions were intensive and detailed. At the Director -General 's request and with the 
agreement of participants I posed a number of questions in all three areas to help focus the 
debate. These were based on what I have heard from all of you over the past weeks, not least the 
Room E process we conducted together, as well as the relevant text -based documen ts that 
emerged this past week.  
38. My questions were as follows:  
Export Competition : elimination time frames for developed Members ' export subsidies; 
elimination time frames for developing m embers; expiry of Article 9.4;  
Export Credits : Definitional clarifications; tenor and footnote; self -financing; Special and 
Differential T reatment and Transparency;  
State Trading Enterprises : Disciplines (incl . footnotes); Special and Differential Treatment 
and Transparency  
Food A id: Disciplines : Monetisation (c ap?); and Transparency  
SSM: Systemic issues; scope; triggers and remedies  
PSH: Scope; carve out from Amber box; Conditions (incl . notification and transparency; 
anti-circumvention/safeguards; consultations; cap?  
39. Unfortunately, as with our Room E negotiations, this group did not succeed in bridging the 
significant gaps that still separa te Members. In this regard, I commend to you my written report to 
the TNC (TN/AG/32)  which describes the existing gaps in more detail. That report remains  eerily 
and depressingly valid.  
40. Let me just add that it is well understood, including by all of those involved in the process 
convened by the Director -General that no result can be reached without the participation of the 
full membership.  
41. So that is where we have got to as we prepare to leave for Nairobi.  
42. I would like now to invite those Members with new w ritten proposals to present these. 
Let me begin by inviting Indonesia on behalf of the G33 to present its proposal; followed by the 
Philippines (on Export Competition); and then Can ada also on Export Competition.  
43. I will then open the floor for your respons es to these latest proposals and your assessment 
of where we stand as we  prepare to depart for Nairobi.  
Conclusion  
44. Let me make four sets of remarks by way of conclusion – on context; on the process going 
forward; on the role of Members; and my concluding o bservations on prospects . 
45. First, on context, and to state the obvious, I share colleagues ' frustration that we were not 
able to make better progress in our work here. I believe we will have many very unhappy Ministers 
in Nairobi and we should be preparing for some tough conversations with Ministers about what we 
have failed to do here.  
46. Second, on process, I share the view about transparency and the participation of Mi nisters 
at meetings in Nairobi.  
47. I should emphasise here of course that the key decisions on  process and the structure of the 
Ministerial in Nairobi are obviously not mine to make. In fact, Chairs of the Negotiating Groups, 
including the CoASS have no prescribed role during the Ministerial meeting. Issues of process and 
structure are the responsi bility of  the Chair of the Conference, Kenya, in consultation with the 
Director -General.  JOB/AG/66  
 
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  48. You have my personal commitment, however, to ensure that your views about the roles 
of Ministers and the issue of participation will be conveyed to the Director -Genera l. For my part, 
I will be in Nairobi and fully prepared to work  with you all in any way I can.  
49. Third, nothing has happened in my time as Chair that has altered my view that it is up to 
you Members to r esolve outstanding issues – for, as I am constantly rem inded here, this is a 
Member -driven process. The solutions and thus progress has to come from you and my role is to 
simply facilit ate your ongoing negotiations.  
50. Finally, for my part, I do believe it really is darkest before dawn – and rig ht now it is very 
dark indeed. Nevertheless, as Homer reminds us the rosy fingers of dawn are never far away. 
And in this case I also firmly believe that is true.  
51. While I cannot quite discern the content and contours of the outcome we will secure in 
Nairobi, I  remain confid ent that we will get one.  
52. In other words, I'm certainly not giving up and I urge you not to either. In this regard, 
I want to assure you of two things:  
1. My commitment to working with all of you to secure a substantive result in Agriculture 
at Nairobi nex t week remains absolute and undiminished;  
2. Equally, my commitment to the principles we have followed in the work in Geneva will 
continue. In particular I will do my utmost in Nairobi to ensure transparency and 
participation - the lessons of th e Melian Di alogue remain vivid.  
53. It's fair to say, we haven’t yet had our 'thalassa thalassa' moment that I predicted in 
September when you selected me to chair these negotiations. Nevertheless, I am confident it will 
happen next week. Let 's face it, it has to.  
54. The al ternative is simply unthinkable. The multilateral trading system on which we all 
depend requires our commitment and our endeavour. Nairobi must be a success. It really is as 
simple as that – and that must include agriculture.  
55. At these difficult moments whe re things appear particularly challenging I always find it 
somewhat comforting to be reminded t hat, as Aristotle tells us: probable impossibilities are to be 
preferr ed to improbable possibilities.  
56. We are de finitely working on this basis and I am confident that everything is possible and 
nothing is impossible when our Ministers meet in Nairobi.  
57. Let me conclude by thanking you Members for your help and assistance these past months, 
but also in particular to the dedicated Secretariat here led by Evan Rogerson.  Nothing we have 
achieved could have been possible without him and his team. They of cours e do the real work.  
58. Thank you all. I wish you well and safe travels and see you very soon in Nairobi.  
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