WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/SE/3 
16 September 2005 
 
 (05-4073) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Dedicated Session Original:   English 
 
 
 
ASUNCION PLATFORM FOR THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND  
 
Adopted at the Meeting of the Ministers of Landlocked Developing  
Countries Responsible for Trade, 10 August 2005, Asuncion  
 
 
 The following communication, dated 13 September 2005, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Paraguay.  
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  We, the Ministers responsible for trade of landlocked developing countries, meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay, on 9 and 10 August 2005 to articulate a common position and priorities for all 
landlocked developing countries at the Sixth WTO Mi nisterial Conference to be held in Hong Kong, 
China, from 13 to 18 December 2005 and beyond, 
  Reaffirming  the importance of trade as an engine  for growth, development and poverty 
eradication,  
 Reaffirming  the principles and objectives set out in the Marrakech Agreement establishing 
the World Trade Organization and reiterating the co mmitment to further strengthen the Organization 
to become an open, fair, equitable, rules-based a nd development-oriented multilateral trading system 
to meet the development needs of landlocked developing countries, 
 
 Noting with  satisfaction the Framework Agreement of 1 August 2004 on the Doha Round of 
Trade negotiations, 
  Recalling  the Almaty Programme of Action:  Addressing the Special Needs of Landlocked 
Developing Countries within a New Global Fram ework for Transit Transport Cooperation for 
Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries,   
 Calling the attention of the Members of the WTO to the special problems of landlocked 
developing countries arising from their lack of terri torial access to the sea,  remoteness from world 
markets, additional border crossings, dependence on transit services of neighbouring transit countries 
which result in high trade transaction costs, administrative delays and cumbersome procedures that 
significantly erode competitiveness of landlocked developing countries,  
  Expressing the concern  that the landlocked developing countries are being increasingly 
marginalized in multilateral trade and faced by d eclining market share in world trade.  Trade 
transaction costs for landlocked developing countries remain very high due to their lack of access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world market s, dependence on transit services and policies of 
their transit neighbours, prohibitive transit costs, long customs and administrative delays at additional WT/COMTD/SE/3 
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 border crossings and ports and cumberso me procedures, and in this regard calling the attention of the 
Members of the WTO to the special problems a nd needs of landlocked developing countries, 
  Recalling the São Paulo Consensus adopted at UNCTAD XI, particularly its 
paragraphs 66 and 84, as well as relevant UN reso lutions which, among other things, recognize the  
landlocked developing countries as small and vul nerable economies and emphasize that the 
examination of issues relating to the trade of small, vulnerable economies, and the framing of 
responses to these trade-related issues to facilitate th eir fuller integration into the multilateral trading 
system should be actively pursued consistent with the Doha Work Programme, taking into 
consideration the particular needs of landlocked developing countries, 
 
 Supporting developing countries emerging from conflict, in particular landlocked developing 
countries, with a view to enabling them to rehabilita te and reconstruct, as appropriate, political, social 
and economic infrastructure and to assist them in achieving their development priorities,  
 Decide  to adopt the following Platfo rm for Doha Development Round: 
  
1. Trade Facilitation 
1. Landlocked developing countries recognize the impo rtance of trade facilitation and the gains 
to be realized from a more efficient flow of goods and services as well as the improved international 
competitiveness that result from lower transaction costs,  and in this regard reaffirm paragraph 47 of 
São Paulo Consensus. 
2. It is in this context that landlocked deve loping countries have al ways supported improved 
mechanism and processes for facilita ting the flow of goods and services.  The inclusion of trade 
facilitation in the Doha Round of trade negotiati ons is welcome development toward attaining 
globally binding rules to ensure the freedom of transit of landlocked deve loping countries, and to 
expedite the movement, release and clearance of goods, especially those in transit.   
3. As agreed in the  Annex D of the "July Package" adopted by the WTO General Council on 
1 August 2004, the negotiations on trade facilitation sh all aim to clarify and improve relevant aspects 
of Articles V on Freedom of Transit, Article V III on Fees and Formalities connected with importation 
and exportation and Article X on P ublication and Administration of Trade Regulations of GATT 1994 
with a view to further expediting the movement , release and clearance of goods, including goods in 
transit.  Particularly, Article V on Freedom of  Transit should be further strengthened and 
operationalized in order to improve the access of landlocked developing coun tries to world markets 
through their transit neighbours by all means of tran sport in most efficient and cost effective ways.  
Transit services should be further liberalized to enc ourage competition.  Transit rules and regulations 
should be simplified, harmonized, streamlined  and made transparent.  Furt hermore, national treatment 
should be applied in transit services. 
4. Modalities agreed on Annex D of the Decision of the General Council of 1 August 2004, 
should guide the trade facilitation negotiating process a nd be adequately reflected in the final outcome 
of the negotiations, as to ensure the implementation of future disciplines in this area.  In this regard, 
the scope of the commitments resulting from the nego tiations must commensurate with the capacity of 
landlocked developing countries for the implementation of their commitments.  This capacity shall be 
determined in accordance with th eir trade facilitation needs and prio rities.  Technical assistance and 
capacity building need to be provided in order to help these countries implement the commitments assumed.   WT/COMTD/SE/3 
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 5. Negotiations shall therefore aim to enhance technical assistance and support for capacity 
building for trade facilitation.  The negotiations shall also aim to achieve effective cooperation 
between customs and any other appropriate aut horities on trade facilitation and customs compliance 
issues. 
6. There is a strong need to identify the trade facilitation needs and priorities of landlocked 
developing countries.  Technical assistance should be  provided to landlocked developing countries on 
a priority basis as their trade facilitation needs w ill depend mainly on transit services and the policies 
of their transit neighbours.  Provision of technical  assistance and support for capacity building is vital 
for landlocked developing countries to enable them  to fully participate in and benefit from the 
negotiations.  Members of the WTO should review the effectiveness of the support and assistance that 
is provided to landlocked deve loping countries and the ability of the WTO to support the 
implementation of the negotiated agenda periodically. 
7. Special and differential treatment, within the context of the trade facilitation negotiations, 
must go beyond the customary granting of transition periods for the implementation of commitments.  
This principle should therefore form an integral  part of the clarification and improvement of 
Articles V, VIII and X of the GATT 1994, of the iden tification of each Member's needs and priorities, 
as well as of the means of providing technical assistance and support for capacity building.  
8. Landlocked developing countries are in greater n eed of technical and financial assistance for 
their physical infrastructure development which remains one of the main bottlenecks for economic 
growth and development.  Also, transit developing  countries need technical and financial assistance in 
the development of their transit transport infrastructure facilities. 
2. Small and Vulnerable Economies 
9. Landlocked developing countries welcome the a doption of the work programme on small and 
vulnerable economies to examine issues pertaining to the trade of small economies, as the General 
Assembly in its resolution 59/245 recognized landlocked developing countries as small and 
vulnerable economies which are among the poorest of developing countries caused by lack of access 
to the sea, long distance from world markets and high transport and trade transaction costs.  The work 
programme on small and vulnerable economies shoul d result in comprehensive responses to address 
the trade-related issues identified for fuller integr ation of small and vulnerable economies into the 
multilateral trading system. 
10. Small and vulnerable economies should be provide d greater market access in agriculture and 
non-agricultural market access (NAMA) to enable them  to participate meaningfully in the multilateral 
trading system to mitigate disadvantages caused by the geographical handicap and smallness of their 
market and economy.  It is also important that speci al efforts be made to f acilitate the full range of 
services export of small and vulnerable economies.  
3. Agriculture 
11. Agriculture is key sector for the economies of landlocked developing count ries with regard to 
poverty reduction and achieving the Millennium Deve lopment Goals.  The agricultural sector is 
protected through high tariffs, tariff peaks, tariff escalation and non-tariff barriers in many developed 
countries, and market access is often denied to products from developing countries, including 
landlocked developing countries.  Export subsidi es and domestic supports maintained by developed 
countries are the main reasons for depressed worl d prices for agricultural commodities, undermining 
the competitiveness of landlocked developing countries.  In this regard it is urgent to eliminate high 
tariffs, tariff peaks, tariff escalation, non-tariff barri ers, export subsidies and to substantially reduce 
trade distorting domestic support for protecting th e agricultural sector of developed countries. WT/COMTD/SE/3 
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 12. High-transit transport costs further deteriorat e the market access of landlocked developing 
countries.  Therefore, current negotiations on mark et access should give particular attention to 
products of special interest to  landlocked developing countries. 
13. As per the Decision of the General Council of  the WTO of 1 August 2004, cotton should be 
addressed in an expeditious manner within the frame work of negotiations on agriculture.  In this 
regard, developed countries should establish a deadline,  without any further delay, for the elimination 
of their current market distorting export subsidi es and substantial reduction of their domestic support 
measures affecting the competitiveness of landl ocked developing countries at the world cotton 
market. 
14. Technical and financial assistance shall be provided to landlocked de veloping countries for 
improving agricultural infrastructure, enhanci ng productivity and diversification and for the 
development of facilities and systems for compliance with the SPS and TBT requirements for the export of agricultural commodities. 
4. Non-Agricultural Market Access 
15. The decisions relating to the improvements in  "market access for non-agricultural products" 
adopted at the Doha Ministerial Conference, inter alia , state that the negotiations in this area shall aim 
to reduce and, as appropriate, to eliminate tariffs, including through the reduction or elimination of 
tariff peaks, high tariffs, tariff escalation, and non- tariff barriers, in particular those relating to 
products of export interest to developing countries.   The special needs and interests of landlocked 
developing countries should be taken into account, including through less than full reciprocity in the 
reduction of commitments.  Meaningful improveme nts in market access will require the elimination 
of non-tariff barriers to exports of inter est to landlocked developing countries. 
16. With the expiration of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing on 31 December 2004, the 
market share of landlocked developing countries in te xtile export is falling rapidly.  This has resulted 
in significant loss of export earnings for landlocke d developing countries, which are dependent on 
exports of very limited number of go ods.  Immediate action is needed to address this issue.  Targeted 
technical assistance shall be provided to landlock ed developing countri es to address supply-side 
constraints. 
5. Special and Differential Treatment 
17. Special and differential provisions constitute  the most significant component of the 
development dimension of the WTO Agreements  that provide landlocked developing countries 
greater flexibility to pursue those policy options most appropriate for ra pid economic development 
and to integrate them into the multilateral trading system.  In this regard, special and differential 
treatment should be accorded to landlocked develo ping countries to compensate their geographical 
disadvantages which erode their competitive edge at the world market. 
18. Paragraph 44 of the Doha Ministerial Declarati on reaffirmed that "provisions for special and 
differential treatment are an integral part of the WTO Agreements" and directed that "all special and 
differential treatment provisions shall be reviewed  with a view to strengthening them and making 
them more precise, effective and operational".  Emphasis should be put on the need to address the trade-related issues identified fo r the fuller integration of small and vulnerable economies into 
multilateral trading system as mandated in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and as 
contained in the WTO General Council Decisi on of 1 August 2004 regarding the Doha Work 
Programme.  WT/COMTD/SE/3 
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 6. Accession 
19. Out of the 31 landlocked developing countries,  nine are still not Members of the WTO.  
Special priority should be given to facilitate and accelerate negotiations with acceding landlocked 
developing counties through simplified and stream lined accession procedures.  Obligations of 
acceding landlocked developing countries should be commensurate with their stage of development 
and their particular situation.  All special and diffe rential treatment shall be applicable to all acceding 
landlocked developing countries. 
20. Targeted technical assistance shall be provide d to acceding landlocke d developing countries 
on a priority basis, covering all stages of the a ccession negotiations and taking into account the high 
costs involved in the accession negotiations. 
7. Technical Cooperation and Capacity Building 
21. Technical cooperation and capacity building are co re elements of the development dimension 
of the multilateral trading system.  Technical assist ance is vital for landlocked developing countries' 
efforts to increase their trade-related supply capacity , and to participate effectively in multilateral 
trade negotiations.  Technical assistance should he lp build human and institutional capacity in 
landlocked developing countries so as to enable them to implement agreements and take advantage of 
trade opportunities. 
22. Technical assistance programmes for landlocked developing countries should be substantially 
increased, be demand-driven, and be country-specifi c.  Landlocked developing countries need new 
and additional assistance in trade facilitation to prepare their common negotiating position, and to 
measure the impact of their commitments in the context of the relevant provisions of GATT 1994, 
particularly its Articles V, VIII and X.   
23. Technical assistance should also be provided for institutional and human capacity building of 
landlocked developing countries to enable them to address complex issues related to the negotiations 
on services.  The constraints faced by landlocked de veloping countries in analyzing offers and making 
requests should be factored into the negotiating pr ocess in general and into the individual requests 
made to landlocked developing countries, in particular.  
24. The UN-OHRLLS is requested to further enhan ce its coordination and cooperation with the 
relevant international organizations, includi ng the World Bank, UNCTAD, the UN Regional 
Commissions, the WTO, the World Customs Organiza tion, in order to assist landlocked developing 
countries in the effective implementation of the Asuncion Platform for the Doha Round of Trade 
negotiations. 
25. The Asuncion Platform for the Doha Devel opment Round should be submitted to the Sixth 
WTO Ministerial Conference for its consideration and relevant WTO bodies. 
26. Express our profound appreciation to the Government of Paragua y for hosting the Meeting of 
the Ministers of Landlocked Developing C ountries Responsible for Trade in Asuncion. 
27. Agree to entrust Paraguay to pursue the co mmon position of landlocked developing countries 
in the Asuncion Platform at the Sixth WTO Minister ial Conference to be held in Hong Kong, China 
and beyond, as the Coordinator of the Group of  Landlocked Developing Countries on trade and 
development matters. 
 
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