. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/WGTDF/M/14 
28 July 2006 
 
 (06-3649) 
Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance  
  
 
REPORT OF THE MEETING OF 18 JULY 2006 
 
 1. The fourteenth meeting of the Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance was held on 
18 July 2006 under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Peter Br ňo (Slovak Republic).  The Working 
Group adopted
 the agenda contained in WTO/AIR/2866.   
Agenda Item A:  Continuation of the discussion of written proposals submitted by Members  
2. The Chairman  reported that the Working Group had not received any new submissions from 
Members since the last written proposal receive d and circulated on 5 October 2005 in document 
WT/WGTDF/W/35 and that of a total of 35 working papers issued in the WT/WGTDF/W/.. series 
since the establishment of the Working Group pursuan t to the Doha mandate, eight were submissions 
by Members, i.e. WT/WGTDF/W/8 (from the EC and its member States), WT/WGTDF/W/16 (African Group), WT/WGTDF/W/18 (Cuba), WT/WGTDF/W/20 and 33 (Argentina), and WT/WGTDF/W/30 and Corr.1, W/32 and W/35 (ACP).  Despite his suggestion at the last meeting of the Group in April 2006 that Members, and the propone nts in particular, consult with each other to 
seek a basis for agreement on the various proposals made  and the fact that he had remained available 
for any informal discussion, no delegation had contacte d him or the Secretariat since the last meeting.  
In the absence of any new proposals or the narro wing of positions, in particular concerning the 
proposal for the establishment of a permanent committee on trade, debt and finance, he suggested that 
the Group take the opportunity to review all written proposals tabled by Members since the setting up 
of the Working Group.   
3. The Working Group took note
 of the Chairman's statement.  No statements were made by 
delegations under this agenda item.   
Agenda Item B:  Preparations for the Annual Report (2006) of the Working Group to the 
General Council in light of the mandate provide d in Paragraph 36 of the Doha Ministerial 
Declaration (WT/MIN (01)/DEC/1) and Paragraph 42 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration 
(WT/MIN(05)/DEC)  
4. The Chairman  recalled the Working Group's report for 2005 to the General Council circulated 
in WT/WGTDF/4 prior to the 6th Ministerial Session in Hong Kong.  The report covered the work 
undertaken and progress made in the examination of the relationship between trade, debt and finance 
and on the consideration of any possible recommenda tions on steps that might be taken within the 
mandate and competence of the WTO as provide d in paragraph 36 of the Doha Ministerial 
Declaration (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1).  At the De cember 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, 
Ministers had taken note of the report and had agreed  that, building on the work carried out to that 
date,  the work of the Group shall continue  on th e basis of the Doha mandate.  They had instructed 
the General Council to report further to the ne xt Session (WT/MIN(05)/DEC, paragraph 42).  The 
Chairman suggested that, for working purposes, th e Working Group adopt a positive frame of mind in 
preparing and submitting its final report in time for the last General Council meeting of the year on 
20-21 December 2006.  He suggested that the report therefore focus on the activities of the Group WT/WGTDF/M/14 
Page 2  
 
  since its inception as well as on conclusions whic h might include "any possible recommendations on 
steps that might be taken within the ma ndate and the competence of the WTO....". 
5. The Working Group agreed
 that, on the basis of input from Members, the Chairman with the 
help of the Secretariat would prepare a draft annua l report for discussion at an informal meeting on 
23 October, prior to the Group's year-end formal  meeting on 3 November 2006 at which the report 
would be adopted.  
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