. /. 
 
 
 
   Pascal Lamy 
  Directeur général 
 
 
      
30 October 2008 
 
       
Dear Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives,  
 
 I am circulating, as an attachment to this note, the latest version of the Evolving Table on 
Cotton Development Assistance .1  This updated version has been prepared on the basis of new 
contributions from the EC, Japan, the US, ITC, IC AC and IMF.  The Evolving Table is a bi-annual 
transparency mechanism.  It is the principal in strument for the Membership to track and monitor 
development assistance provided to the cotton propon ents in the implementation of the DDA mandate 
on the development assistance aspects of cotton.  It is, and will remain work in progress.   
  I am pleased that the Evolving Table on Cotton Development Assistance  shows that some 
progress has been made on the development assistance aspects of the cotton dossier:  
 
• In Part I of the Evolving Table on Cotton Development Assistance, the number of 
beneficiaries has increased from 25 to 30.  Commitments have also risen.  The total number of commitments increased from 94 to 112 (an increase of 19%), or from US$495 million to US$551 million (an increase of 11%).   
 
• The actual disbursements of these commitmen ts has also risen, and now stand at 
US$109 million, a 186% increase from the pr evious US$38 million.  However, the 
gap continues to remain large between "commitments" and "disbursements" and 
I urge that further attention be paid to this matter. 
 
 In Part II of the Evolving Table on Agri culture and Infrastructure-Related Development 
Assistance, although the number of commitments only i ndicates a small increase, this is in contrast to 
the total value of these commitments which has si gnificantly improved reaching US$2 billion.  The 
total value of disbursed amounts has increased by over 107% from US$65 million to US$134 million 
in the attached updated version.  But, again,  a wide gap remains be tween "commitments" and 
"disbursements". 
 
 I urge Members to review the details of the cu rrent version of the Evolving Table in a broader 
policy context.  At the March 2007 High Level Se ssion on Cotton that I convened, Members agreed 
with my summary statement that "cotton remains one of the litmus tests of the development content of 
the Doha Round;  hence urgency of a breakthrough in the DDA" .   
                                                 
1 The previous version of the Evolving Table is contained in document WT/CFMC/6/Rev.3 (or 
WT/L/702).  The new version which is attached to this note is contained in document WT/CFMC/6/Rev.4.   WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  - 2 - 
 
  
  
 
    The overall context in which this meeting is  taking place is one of instability. We are 
witnessing an unprecedented financial crisis which risks exacerbating the economic difficulties, in 
particular in poorer countries. We are also witnessi ng volatile swings in cotton prices, which are now 
set on a downward trend.  In the past 12 months, cotton price had registered the historic high of 
US¢88 per pound of cotton lint, which was also the case in March this year.  However, current prices 
are in the range of only US¢58.50 per pound.  Th is trend makes it all the more imperative to 
successfully conclude the Doha Round negotiations . There is no doubt that domestic cotton sector 
reform must also accompany this process. 
 
We will have an occasion to discuss these issues at the next regular session of my 
"Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton", on 7 November 2008.  This will be the 10
th round 
of consultations.     
 
I would like to seize this opportunity to express my appreciation to the development 
community and the recipients of development assist ance for cotton – partners in this exercise – for 
their continued engagement.