RESTRICTED  
  
TN/AG/GEN/50  
TN/AG/SCC/GEN/22  
 
17 February 2020  
(20-1245) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session  
Sub-Committee on Cotton  Original: French  
 
 
WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON AGRICULTURE  
Communication from the Co-Sponsors of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton1 
The following communication, dated 12 February 2020 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Burkina Faso  on behalf of the co -sponsors of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton.  
 
 
_______________  
KOUDOUGOU MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON COTTON  
We, the Trade Ministers of the four co -sponsor s of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton (C4) 
at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, on the occasion of the 7th Regular C4 Coordination 
Meeting in Koudougou (Burkina Faso) from 27 to 29  January  2020 : 
 
o Stressing:  
 
▪ that the issue of cotton is of vital importance for the economies and populations of cotton -
producing and exporting African countries and, in particular, least developed countries 
(LDCs);  
 
▪ that support and subsidies continue to seriously disrupt world cotton prices and that one 
of the main consequences of this disruption is the significant loss of income suffered 
by millions of people in cotton -producing and exporting African countries and LDCs;  
 
▪ the crucial role of the cotton sector in achieving the Sustainable Developm ent Goals 
(SDGs), notably as regards the fight against poverty and the contribution to food security 
in cotton -producing and exporting African countries and LDCs;  
 
o Reaffirming our deep concern at the lack of substantial outcomes in the multilateral trade 
negotiations on domestic support for cotton, despite the mandate issued in December  2005 
in Hong Kong;  
 
o Having reviewed  all the outcomes of the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference held in 
Buenos  Aires (Argentina) from 10 to 13  December  2017 ; 
 
o Having also assess ed the negative impact, on the economies and social conditions of the 
cotton -producing populations in African countries, in LDCs and, in particular, in the C4 
countries, of domestic support that creates distortion, of export subsidies, and of any other 
form of subsidy with equivalent effects granted to cotton by certain WTO Members;  
 
 
1 Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad.  TN/AG/GEN/50 • TN/AG/SCC/GEN/22  
 
- 2 - 
 
  o Recalling:  
▪ the Ministerial Decisions on Cotton adopted on 1  August  2004 in Geneva and on 
22 December  2005 in Hong Kong, issuing a specific mandate to address cotton 
"ambitiously, expeditiously and specifically "; 
 
▪ our N'Djamena appeal of 16  November  2005, the subsequent Ouagadougou Declarations 
of 20  June 2006 and 6  September  2007, the Bamako Declaration of 27  October  2016, 
the Cotonou Declaration of 21  April 2017, and the N'Djamena Declaration of 
16 November  2018;  
 
▪ Decision WT/MIN(15)/4 6 – WT/L/981 , dated 19  December  2015, of the 10th WTO 
Ministerial Conference held in Nairobi (Kenya) from 15 to 19  December  2015, and the need 
to achieve substantive, concrete and measurable outcomes for cotton;  
 
▪ the conclusions and observations formulated at the close of the various sessions of the 
WTO Director -General's Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton, held in Geneva, 
and following the post -Buenos Aires multilateral tra de negotiations on cotton;  
 
1. Reiterate  the pressing demand of several countries that produce and export cotton and 
cotton -related products to reach a concrete and fair Agreement at the  12th WTO 
Ministerial Conference (MC12) to be held in Nur Sultan from 8 t o 11 June 2020, and to 
bring about agricultural policy reforms, with a view to eliminating the distorting effects of 
all forms of support for the cotton sector;  
 
2. Also urgently call upon  all WTO Members granting domestic support with trade -distorting 
effect s on the international cotton market to strive for further progress in the work on 
cotton and to notify, on a regular basis and to ensure transparency, up -to-date 
information on the domestic support granted to their cotton producers, in order to 
effectivel y meet the objectives set for this vital issue;  
 
3. Emphasize  the need to explore all possible solutions that would adequately respond to 
and take into consideration the vital and trade -related concerns of several  million 
producers regarding domestic support for cotton;  
 
4. Consider , therefore, that the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference should be the final 
deadline for effectively carrying out the mandate on cotton given by the Trade Ministers 
17 years ago, a mandate which has yet to be addressed in any adequate an d meaningful 
way, particularly in relation to domestic support;  
 
5. Once again express  our confidence in our negotiators in Geneva and, at the same time, 
give them a fresh mandate to pursue the negotiations on cotton;  
 
6. Remain  committed to concluding the Doha Round of negotiations, taking account of the 
legitimate concerns of developing coun tries and, more particularly, those of LDCs, which 
include several African countries, notably the C4 countries;  
 
7. Express  our readiness to continue the reforms under way in the cotton sector in our 
countries;  
 
8. Reaffirm our support for the preservation of a multilateral trading system based on WTO 
rules;  
 
9. Express  our gratitude to the South -South, North -South, bilateral, regional and 
multilateral development partners for their support for capacity -building activities with 
respect to the production, processing and exportation of cotton and cotton by -products 
in African countries, in LDCs and, in particular, in the C4 countries;  
 
10. Re-extend  the invitation to all the development partners (bilateral, regional and 
multilateral) to contribute to the impleme ntation of the integrative and regional 
programme, most notably the " Cotton Roadmap  programme", so as to ensure the 
development of value chains in the cotton sector in the beneficiary countries, with a view TN/AG/GEN/50 • TN/AG/SCC/GEN/22  
 
- 3 - 
 
  to truly making this sector an instrument for cre ating jobs, combating poverty and illegal 
migration, improving food security, and sustainable and inclusive economic and social 
development;  
 
11. Once again express  our appreciation to all the partners that have contributed to the 
successful implementation of the "Project on technology transfer for cotton by -products 
in eight pilot African LDCs";  
 
12. Urge  our technical and financial partners to contribute to the implementation of 
integrative programmes and projects that could promote the production, processing and  
marketing of cotton and its by -products in accordance with the development component 
of the MC10 Ministerial Decision on Cotton ; 
 
13. Welcome the active involvement of our partners to ensure the successful celebration of 
the first -ever World Cotton Day, held at WTO headquarters in Geneva on 7  October  2019, 
and invite them to continue to support the effective implementation of, and harmonious 
follow -up to, the recommendations arising from this important event;  
 
14. Welcome  the commitment of the International Trade Centre (ITC) to maintaining its 
support for the implementation of projects and programmes in the cotton/textile, and 
their by -products, sector in the C4 countries;  
 
15. Invite  Member States to support the draft Resolution on proclaiming 7  October to be 
World C otton Day, with a view to its adoption at the next session of the United Nations 
General Assembly, and to celebrate this Day, in an appropriate manner, in accordance 
with national priorities, in order to raise awareness of the importance of cotton 
producti on, processing and trade, as well as the specific challenges and emerging 
opportunities for developing countries in general and for LDCs in particular.  
 
Done at Koudougou on 29  January  2020 
 
Fait à N'Djamena, le 16 novembre 2018  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
__________  
 
 
 
 
 
__________  
 For the Republic of Benin  
 
Mr Eloi LAOUROU  
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of 
Benin to Geneva  
For Burkina Faso  
 
Mr Harouna KABORE  
Minister of Trade, Industry and Crafts  
For the Republic of Mali  
 
Mr Mohamed AG ERLAF  
Minister of Industry and Trade  
For the Republic of Chad  
 
 
Ms Achta DJIBRINE SY   
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Private 
Sector Promotion