. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/AG/GEN/17 
11 May 2006 
 (06-2316) 
Committee on Agriculture 
Special Session  Original:   English 
 
  
JOINT COMMUNICATION FROM THE G-33, AFRICAN GROUP, ACP, AND LDCS 
ON SPECIAL PRODUCTS AND THE SPECIAL SAFEGUARD MECHANISM 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 10 May 2006, is being circulated at the request of the 
G-33, African Group, ACP, and LDCs. 
 
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 1. The July Framework was explicit in its recogn ition that the balance in the negotiations under 
the Doha Work Programme will be achieved onl y when the modalities incorporate operationally 
effective and meaningful provisions for special an d differential treatment for developing country 
Members.  It recognized the critical importance of agriculture to the economic development of 
developing country Members and that they must be  able to pursue agricultural policies that are 
supportive of their development goals, poverty reduction strategi es, food security and livelihood 
concerns. 
2. The Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration marked  the first step towards evolving modalities in 
Special Products (SPs) and Special Safeguard Mechan ism (SSM) agreed to in the July Framework.  
Primacy was accorded to the self-designation of Spec ial Products guided by indicators based on the 
criteria of food security, livelihood security, and ru ral development needs.  Developing countries 
would thus attune their selection of SPs with their domestic policies for food security, livelihood 
security and rural development needs.  Regarding SSM, two separately appli cable import quantity and 
import price triggers were agreed as the core of the modalities for the SSM. 
3. In order to advance the discussions to an early conclusion, the G-33 has presented 
comprehensive proposals covering each facet of the modalities for SPs and SSM.  The African Group, 
ACP, and LDCs support meaningful modalities to  secure simple and operationally effective 
instruments of SPs and SSM, which is also the sp irit in which these proposals have been presented by 
the G-33.  Given the diversity of agricultural systems among the countries represented in the G-33, 
African Group, ACP and LDCs, by necessity these proposals seek to address their common concerns. 
4. Suggestions and proposals made recently by some overtly export-oriented Members of the 
WTO require the standard of substantial market access improvements to apply to both SPs and SSM.  
Further, they seek to limit the scope of the SSM to  the extent that the mechanism becomes inoperable 
and to restrict SPs to a handful of tariff lines.  These proposals have thus necessarily invoked serious 
concern among the G-33, African Group, ACP and LDCs.  These countries together account for the 
vast majority of people dependent on agri culture for livelihood and of the global labour 
force/employment in agricultural activities.  These four  groups also contain within them the bulk of 
rural and urban poor in the world for whom access to food at fair and affordab le prices remains at the 
heart of poverty alleviation programmes.  The in terlinked and complex criteria of food security, TN/AG/GEN/17 
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  livelihood security and rural development cannot be viewed through the filter of export interests of a 
few developed and developing country Members.  The negotiating mandate ca nnot now be redefined. 
5. Studies by eminent research bodies across the world confirm that  reduced tariff protection in 
developing countries, including under structural adjust ment programmes, have been the primary cause 
of import surge, with attendant decrease in employme nt in agricultural activities, lowering of returns 
to farmers, and increased levels of poverty in rural ar eas.  The absence of inco me and insurance safety 
nets compounds their problems leading to desperate a nd irreversible, actions by the afflicted farmers.  
These studies conclude that the SSM must be simple, operable, and effective, and that price triggers 
are as effective as volume triggers depending upon th e emergency they seek to address.  Equally, for 
SPs, the studies conclude that the appropriateness of the number of SPs and their treatment is clearly 
linked to the characteristics of the agricultural sector  of the designating deve loping country and the 
policies designed to meet the three agreed criteria.  Some other studies make it evident that modalities 
of SPs and SSM aimed squarely to address these le gitimate concerns of their proponents will in no 
way undermine the export interests of the ex port-focused developed and developing country 
Members.  There is no justification for their alleged fears and apprehensions regarding these 
instruments. 
6. The G-33, African Group, ACP, and LDCs coul d not be expected to join consensus on any 
package on agriculture unless their food security, liv elihood security and rural development needs are 
accommodated effectively and comprehensively thro ugh the commitments called for from them in the 
market access pillar, in particul ar the tariff reductions, SPs and SSM. 
 
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