WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/751 
16 April 2009 
 (09-1598) 
 Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
AU CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRADE 
5TH ORDINARY SESSION 
20 March 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
 
Communication from Egypt  
   The following communication, dated 26 March 2009, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Egypt on behalf of the African Group.
  
 
_______________ 
 
 
ADDIS ABABA DECLARATION ON WTO NEGOTIATIONS  
 
Preamble 
 
We, Ministers of Trade of the Member States of the African Union, meeting in Addis Ababa, 
Ethiopia, on 19-20 March 2009, considered the de velopments in the Doha Development Agenda 
(DDA) negotiations since the last AU Conference of Mi nisters of Trade and Finance, in Addis Ababa, 
Ethiopia, on 3 April 2008;  Reiterating  our commitment to a successful Doha De velopment Round, and the positive contribution 
to all efforts leading to an early conclusion of the negotiations;  
 
Recalling , in this regard, the declaration and Decision of Heads of States and Governments of the AU 
in Addis Ababa of (3 February 2009) on the in ternational financial crisis and its far reaching 
economic and social impacts on African countries, a nd the need to conclude the Doha Development 
Round in order to secure inter alia  that markets remain open to African trade;  
 
Underlining our deep concerns regarding the far-reaching negative impact of the crisis on African 
economic growth and national de velopmental plans, balance of  payments and national budgets, 
competitiveness, access to international public and priv ate finance, and foreign direct investment.  We 
are also alarmed about the growing risks of the use of protectionist measures and policies around the 
world.  We are further concerned, that the crisis  will affect economic sect ors that are sensitive to 
African countries, and its impact will spread to touch on production, exports, employment, 
investments, commodity prices, tourism, and remittances among others;  Expressing deep concern over the re-emergence of tr ade protectionism triggered by developed 
countries in response to the crises, and calling upon developed countries to refrain, in pursuing their 
respective stimulus plans, from adopting and impl ementing any measures, that could be construed 
inconsistent with their respective WTO commitm ents, or would undermine the multilateral trading 
system in a manner that exacerbates the negative ramifications brought onto the real economy of African countries; WT/L/751 
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  Highlighting  that as a result of the global economic and fi nancial crisis, and more than at any other 
time, the outcome of the Doha negotiations should deliver the developmental objectives as spelled out 
in the Doha mandate and later reaffirmed by the WTO General Council Decision of 1 August 2004 
(the July Framework) and subsequently the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference held from 13 to 18 December 2005 in Hong Kong; at its core;  
 
Stressing  that within the current global economic c ontext, there should not be any attempts to 
reinterpret or change the mandates in any of th e negotiating tracks.  Mandates should be correctly 
interpreted in developed members doing more to s ubstantially and effectively reduce trade distorting 
subsidies, and to provide enhanced market access to products of export inte rest to developing and 
least developed members; 
 Emphasizing  the need to preserve progress and converg ences achieved during 2008 in all the Doha 
negotiating tracks under the single undertaking, and in  cautioning against the adverse ramifications of 
backtracking on the progress and convergences reached so far. 
 
Re-emphasizing  the need for the negotiations to be carried  out in a fully inclusive and transparent 
multilateral manner to ensure political ownership of  both the process and outcome, and to be guided 
by the Chairpersons based on members' contributi ons and multilateral agreed texts to ensure the 
legitimacy and balance of the outcome;  
Recognizing  that the satisfactory completion of the Doha Work Programme is fundamental for 
enhancing the trade and development objectives of African countries, and a priority for achieving 
international development goals including the achie vement of the Millennium Development Goals, 
principally on poverty reduction in our countries;  
Re-emphasizing  that for Africa, development outcomes in each of the negotiating tracks remain the 
raison d’être of the Round.  This means that tangi ble development content must be evident within 
each negotiating track, and in the overall outcome;   Reaffirming  our previous positions and concerns as cont ained in the Addis Ababa Declarations of 
(3 April 2008) and of (15-16 January 2007); the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration (12-14 April 2006); 
the Arusha Development Benchmarks (21-24 No vember 2005); the Cairo Road Map on the Doha 
Work Programme (5-9 June 2005) and the Kigali Consensus (27-28 May 2004);   Hereby declare  as follows: 
 AGRICULTURE 
1. We reiterate  that Agriculture is the main engine of the DDA, and that the outcome of the 
Agriculture negotiations will determine th e level of Ambition in other areas.  
2. We note  that the draft modalities on Agriculture issued on December 6, 2008 reflects the 
state of play in the agriculture negotiations; though progress has been reached on certain issues, 
uncertainty continues to prevail on a large number of other issues.   
3. We consider  that the December 6, 2008 text will co nstitute the basis for future negotiations, 
though it fails to adequately address a number of issu es that are of key interest to African Countries. 
4. We stress  that the un-bracketed issues in the text  remain conditional and can only be settled 
once an overall balance in the Agriculture negotiations  is achieved; we also stress that any future 
efforts to close gaps and refine the text require po litical will, and must be the product of a multilateral, 
transparent and bottom-up process.  WT/L/751 
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   Market Access 
 
5. We are concerned with the increasing layers of flexibilities being granted to some 
Developed members concerning Sensitive Products , and we stress that modalities for sensitive 
products should not impede the level of amb ition realized by the tariff reduction formula.  
6. We reaffirm  in addition, that NFIDCs with no TR Qs commitments shall be allowed to 
deviate from the tariff reduction formula for all their sensitive products.    
7. We recognize the importance of Special Products in  achieving food security, livelihood 
security and rural development; therefore, we st ress that the modalities for Special products should 
allow for the designation of a sufficient number of products, as well as the flexible treatment that 
would assist Developing members to achieve such objectives. 
8. We also recognize  the vulnerability of our fragile ec onomies, and therefore underscore the 
importance of the SSM, and reaffirm that its modal ities should be simple, effe ctive and operational.  
Further, it should be a permanent feature of the AoA.  We also emphasize that modalities on SSM 
should be effective in addressing import surges and pr ice declines in Africa; this includes allowing the 
remedies to apply beyond the Uruguay Round bound level. 
9. We further stress  that SSM modalities should allow for more favourable treatment for SVEs 
and LDCs in view of their low level of development.   
Preferences 
 
10. We reiterate  our call that, with a view to mainstre aming development in the Doha Round, the 
issues of longstanding preferences and preference er osion should be resolved by means of trade based 
solutions through an implementation period of at least ten years and a firm commitment in terms of technical assistance during the transition period.  Fu rthermore, we underline the need to preserve the 
convergence reached on preferences in July 2008, to capture the interests and concerns of preference 
receiving countries. 
11. We recognize with appreciation a number of existing trade preferences initiatives established 
to integrate developing countries and LDCs into the global trading system.  However, rules of origin 
requirements and implementation proce dures, as well as supply-side constraints, continue to disrupt 
effective and predictable market access for LDCs.  We therefore urge for the full implementation of the principle of Special and Differential Treatment for these development oriented preference and other initiatives including the provision to LDCs of financial and technical assistance, technology 
transfer for capacity building, flexibility in im plementation of commitments and the implementation 
of the commitment to grant Duty Free Quota Free market access by WTO developed, and developing 
countries declaring themselves to be in a position to do so, to all products originating from all LDCs.  
In addition, other policy measures undertaken by  the WTO members should take into account the 
export interests of LDCs. 
Commodities 
 
12. We call,  in light of the current global economic and financial crisis, for an amendment to the 
AoA to include an Article on commodities, and the establishment of an appropriate corresponding 
Annex.  To this end, the case for a multilateral so lution to the issue of commodities and the provision 
of technical and financial assistance to commoditie s exporting developing countries becomes even 
more compelling.  WT/L/751 
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  13. We underline further that commodity exporting depende nt LDCs are largely vulnerable to 
changes and shocks in the international commod ity markets.  In addition, massive commodity 
subsidies and other protectionist measures includi ng non-tariff barriers (NTBs) applied by some 
countries continue to negatively affect LDCs co mmodity trading and development opportunities. 
Bananas  
 
14. We reaffirm the need for the Banana issue to be  specifically addressed, on a stand-alone 
basis through an inclusive process, in order to r each a just and balanced outcome, whilst remaining 
consistent with the developmen t objectives of the Doha Round.  
15. We reiterate  our position expressed on July 25
th, 2008 during the WTO Mini-Ministerial 
Conference regarding the level of MFN dut y on Bananas and its stabilisation period. 
16. We also reaffirm  the necessity, during that period, for a flexible, expeditious and efficient 
compensation package based on the real need of  Banana producing countries to restructure and 
diversify their Banana sectors. 
Domestic Support 
 17. We stress  that realizing the mandate of achieving  effective and substantial reductions in 
Trade Distorting Domestic Support is a priority to  Africa; therefore, we are concerned with the 
preservation of high levels of flexibilities for de veloped members that will no doubt reduce the level 
of ambition sought under do mestic support modalities. 
 Export Competition 
 18. We underscore  the importance of implementing the agreement reached in Hong Kong as 
reflected in the Ministerial Declaration, namely th e full elimination of all forms of Export Subsidies 
by developed countries by 2013.    
19. We stress, in light of the current global economic and financial crisis and its effect on Trade 
Finance, that, modalities for Export Competition should take into account the impact of this crisis on 
the African countries, especially African NFIDCs and LDCs. 
Export Restrictions and Prohibition  
 
20. We underscore the importance of access to food for NFIDCs and LDCs, and we urge 
members and relevant international organizations to coordinate their actions to guarantee access to 
food for those countries by increasing their food security.   It is essential to exempt NFIDCs and LDCs 
from any new disciplines to be agreed upon with regard to Export Restrictions and Prohibition; 
therefore, we urge that the December 6, 2008 moda lities should be further clarified to achieve this 
objective.  
Cotton 
21. We support  an outcome on cotton that is compliant with the Hong Kong mandate and that 
will take the following into consideration:  
• The application of the formula for the reduction of the domestic support granted to 
cotton under the Amber box, proposed by the C4, and reproduced in the draft modalities presented by the Chairman of the Special session of the Committee on 
Agriculture;  WT/L/751 
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  • Fixing of specific caps for blue box domestic  support granted to cotton, amounting to 
1/3 of what would otherwise have been the resultant from the methodology advocated 
in the Chairman’s text; 
• The application of the additional “two for one” discipline on the increase in domestic 
support from amber to blue box ; 
•  The period of reference of 1995-2000 for cotton. 
22. We also support  the approach advocated by the Chairm an of the Agriculture Negotiations for 
the reduction of domestic support distorting the global cotton trade as presented in the draft 
agriculture text of December 6, 2008.  We furt her urge the EU to adopt the same methodology.  
23. We also urge  the USA to table clear proposals that are in conformity with the Hong Kong 
mandate.  
24. We suggest  that a range of amounts for trade-distorting subsidies be adopted as a basis for 
our discussions during the negotiations.  
25. We encourage  the WTO Director General to continue  his consultations on development aid, 
as part of the Consultative Framework Mechanism, pursuant to the Hong Kong mandate, with a view 
to finding an expeditious, appropriate solution to  the crisis that is threatening African cotton 
commodity chains with short-term disappearan ce if nothing is done for their safeguard.   
26. We recall that without an appropriate and lasting solu tion to the vital issue of cotton there can 
be no conclusion to the Doha Round as was undersco red in the final conclusion of the High Level 
Meeting on Cotton held in Geneva in March 2007. 
NON-AGRICULTURAL MARKET ACCESS (NAMA) 
27. We support  efforts to advance NAMA negotiations on the basis of the draft NAMA text 
issued in December 2008, and call for caution among WTO members on any backtracking in the 
NAMA negotiations.  We further emphasise the need  to preserve progress achieved during the year 
2008. 
28. We continue to reiterate  that the final outcome of Non-agricultural Market Access (NAMA) 
negotiations should reflect the developmental concer ns and interests of the African economies and not 
lead to their de-industrialisation.   
29. We further urge  that any agreed modalities in NAMA, and in particular for developing 
members subject to formula cuts, take full account of Para 16 of the Doha Declaration on less than 
full reciprocity in reduction commitments.  Furthe rmore, we urge that the modalities in NAMA fully 
accommodate the proposal by SACU, as it is base d on genuine developmen tal concerns and the 
situation of this group. 
30. We recall  on Sectorals, that the mandate for participation is on a non-mandatory basis.  
Further, sectoral initiatives should neither be linked to  the tariff cut formula nor have any impact on 
products that are enjoying tariff preferences. 
31. We reiterate  our concern on the impact of preference erosion on our otherwise fragile 
economies and more so that majority of our membersh ip is dependent on trade preferences.  We urge 
that any solution arrived at for the ‘Disproportiona tely Affected Countries’ should not in any way 
erode further the preferences particularly for the Least Developed Countries (LDC’s).  In addition, WT/L/751 
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  concerned that some Sectoral initiatives will have adverse effects on our industries and exports, we 
call for such initiatives to exclude products of export interests to African countries, particularly those 
tariff lines identified as being vulnerable to preferences. 
32. We continue to support, the Non Tariff Barriers (NTB’s) proposals that gather the widest 
consensus among members in particular the establi shment of a horizontal mechanism for resolving 
NTB’s.  We further urge that proposals not gain ing support such as the proposal for Elimination of 
Export Taxes be excluded from NAMA negotiations.  We further underline that the negotiation of 
export taxes has no mandate in NAMA. 
SERVICES 
33. We reviewed  the state of play of the Services Nego tiations as well as the elements proposed 
for the completion of the negotiations as presented by  the Chair’s text of 28t h of July 2008.  We 
remain cognizant that no consensu s has been reached over the text, and thereby consider that the 
negotiations should proceed in accordance with the Doha Declaration, as well as the Hong Kong 
Declaration, including Annex C.  We reiterate our  rights emanating from the flexibilities provided for 
developing countries and LDCs as stipulated by the GATS, and all other relate d negotiating mandates.   
34. We emphasise  that the global economic and financial crises have adversely affected the 
services sectors of African countries, and call upon our trading partners, particularly developed 
countries, to undertake meaningful market access commitments in sectors and Modes of supply that 
are of export interest to African countries, particular ly Mode 4, and to maintain the comparability and 
sequencing of Market Access negotia tions which should be linked to th e level of ambition attained in 
Agriculture and NAMA, as well as to the overall ba lance within the single undertaking of the DDA.  
35. We stress that African countries have undertaken extensive commitments in liberalizing their 
services sectors.  Accordingly, any outcome of the services negotiations should take into account the efforts already made by African countries in this regards, with due account to their level of 
development and human, institutional and regulatory capacities.   
36. We reaffirm that African countries should, as a sine  qua non condition, be nefit from Special 
and Differentiated Treatment and a ppropriate Technical Assistance and Capacity Building.  To this 
end, we urge that satisfactory LDC’s modalities as well as S&D proposals be made operational as 
soon as possible or at the latest before the end of the negotiations. 
37. We underscore that any text-based negotiations on Domestic Regulation should be 
development oriented, and effectively address re gulatory and related barriers faced by services 
suppliers from African countries.  Moreover, they should include appropriate flexibilities & effective 
provisions for institutional building and technical assistance for African countries. 
38. We underline that the global economic and financ ial crises will have far reaching 
implications on how financial servi ces will be traded in the future.  Accordingly, we stress the 
importance of analysing these implications and re viewing WTO/GATS work in this regard.  We 
equally underline the need for analysing the impact of  developed countries stimulus plans, in so far as 
they are construed to increase the co mpetitiveness of their service sectors. 
TRADE FACILITATION 
39. We reiterate  the importance attached to the issue of  Trade Facilitation, and remain positively 
engaged to reach a satisfactory outcome to all par ties in the current negotiations with the aim to 
clarify and improve movement, release and clearan ce of goods including goods in transit.    WT/L/751 
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  40. We reaffirm  the importance of providing developing countries with the appropriate 
Special & Differential Treatment (SDT), and Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (TACB), as outlined in Annex D of the July 2004 Framewor k, and Annex E of the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Declaration in December 2005 respectively.  
41. We also reaffirm that any final outcome should directly link implementation of 
commitments to providing TACB to Developing Co untries, particularly African ones, and should 
contain a clearly defined operational mechanism committing the donor community to provide TACB 
to those countries that need it.  The special situ ation and needs of Africa n Landlocked and transit 
countries with respect to transit of goods should also be taken into account .  Adequate financial 
assistance should also be provided to address the n eeds to develop the necessary infrastructure in 
African countries, particularly in LDCs, as a crucial element in facilitating trade. 
42. We stress  that Developing and Least-developed countries should not be required to 
implement any commitments unless their requests fo r TACB has been adequately responded to by 
donors, and they have acquired the necessary capacity to implement such commitments.   
LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  
43. We call  for the incorporation into the final outcome of the Doha Round, the LDCs proposals 
as outlined in Maseru Declaration adopted during the 5
th LDCs Trade Ministers Meeting held in 
Maseru, the Kingdom of Lesotho, on 27-29 Febr uary, 2009, including the need for developed 
countries to specify on a product-by-product basis when they will provide Duty Free Quota Free 
market access for the remaining 3 per cent of  the products originating from all LDCs  
44. We fully support  the special consideration for African developing countries that are in 
Customs Unions with LDCs in  their reduction commitments. 
45. We emphasize  that services is among the fastest growing sectors in global trade, while 
concerned that the LDCs’ share remains marginal, we urge for a larger participation of LDCs in these 
important sectors.  In this regard, we stress the need  for the enforcement of the provisions stipulated in 
articles IV and XIX of GATS.  
46. We call  for timely, full and effective implementation of the modalities for the special 
treatment for LDCs in the negotiation on trade in ser vices.  In this regard, we fully support the LDCs 
for initiating the development of appropriate mechan ism for according special priority to sectors and 
modes of supply of interest to LDCs.  This effort will facilitate discussions towards the 
operationalization and implemen tation of LDCs modalities. 
47. We reiterate  the importance and urgency of the Enha nced Integrated Framework (EIF) to 
assist LDCs in their effort to mainstream trade in to their national development plans and to use trade 
as an engine for development and poverty reduc tion.  In this connection, we welcome the 
recommendations of the EIF Task Force aimed at achieving two main objectives namely: Increased, additional, predictable financial resources to im plement IF Action Matrices, and Strengthening 
in-country capacities to manage, implement and m onitor the IF process.  While noting that some 
progress has so far been achieved in cluding the appointment of the Executive Director and the Trust 
Fund Manager as well as the operational Executive Secr etariat, we stress the need for ownership, 
envisaged easy access to the facility and a swift finalization of outstanding issues in order to 
effectively implement this important framework. 
48. We reiterate  further that Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) is a fundamental principle 
aimed at enabling developing country Members and LDCs to implement their commitments and 
obligations, including providing them with flex ibility, policy space, balanced rules and necessary WT/L/751 
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  financial and technical assistance for capacity build ing to enable them achieve greater market access 
and other benefits in the multilateral trading system.   
SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT 
49. We reiterate  that given the impact of the global ec onomic and financial cr isis on developing 
countries, Special and Differential Treatment (SDT ) is of vital importance to enable developing 
country Members and LDCs to implement their commitments and obligations, including providing 
them with flexibility, policy space, and balan ced rules to achieve greater market access. 
50.  We are concerned  that discussions on the Agreement Specific proposals have made minimal 
progress.  We therefore urge members to intensif y efforts and exercise the necessary political will to 
accelerate the review of the SDT provisions to ensu re that the outcome responds to the development 
needs and concerns of African countries.  We em phasize that the Monitoring Mechanism is aimed at 
ensuring adequate and proper implementation of SD T provisions in all areas of the negotiations.  
Therefore, it should include the appropriate  elements to achieve this objective. 
RULES 
51. We urge  developed countries to recognize the conc erns and needs of our countries in the 
rules negotiations and, in particular, the vital im portance of special and differential treatment.  
Adequate attention must be given to the proposal made by our countries so as to ensure that the 
resulting Agreements have a development dimension. 
52. We reiterate  the need to avoid the introduction of  more complex rules and disciplines under 
the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.  The 
complexity of the existing Agreements and the co sts associated to the use of the anti-dumping and 
countervailing instruments already limit the right of our countries to effectively challenge injurious 
dumping or subsidization.  The amendments proposed  in the consolidated draft texts on Rules in 
December 2008 will make it even more  complicated for our countries to apply the relevant measures 
where a domestic industry is suffering from injury as a consequence of dumped or  subsidized imports.  
The outcome of the Rules Negotiations will have to be implementable by all countries, regardless of 
their level of development. 
53. We stress  that adequate technical assistance shoul d be provided to enable African countries 
to effectively enforce their rights under the An ti-Dumping Agreement in line with recent joint 
African/ACP/LDCs proposal on Anti-Dumping.  
54. Recalling that African countries are currently engaged in negotiating Regional Trade 
Agreements, particularly Econom ic Partnership Agreements ( EPAs), and underlining that the 
outcomes are to be consistent with WTO rules, we emphasize that at the time it was drafted, 
article XXIV of GATT 1994 addressed mainly the c oncerns of regional trade agreements between 
developed countries.  We therefore call on the negotia tors to reactivate negotiations to amend article 
XXIV of GATT 1994 to allow for the necessary special  and differential treatment, and explicit and 
essential flexibilities for developing countries that take  into account their specific needs and levels of 
development.  
Fisheries subsidies  
55. We underscore the need to ensure that the special and differential treatment flexibilities in 
Article III be designed to address the specific concerns  of all African States, in particular the small 
and more vulnerable coastal states, and call for the sp ecial and differential provisions to be standalone 
provisions with no cross conditionalities on fisheri es management systems.  In particular, the  WT/L/751 
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  disciplines on Fisheries Management Systems should be formulated to match the realities of our 
fisheries sectors, particularly traditional fisheri es activities, and we call for stronger commitments on 
effective and monitorable technical assistance under Article V. 
56. We welcome the resumption of negotiations on the draft initial fisheries subsidies text of 
November 2007, and the Chair’s roadmap of December  2008.  We stress the need for a balanced, fair 
and equitable approach to the negotiations on fisher ies subsidies, which shall take into account the 
special status and needs of developing and least developed African coastal states and we stress that 
the new disciplines shall not impose any undue burden,  both with regard to the development of that 
sector in our continued economic development and our administrative capacity to comply with new 
demanding standards and rules. 
TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
57. We stress  that negotiations should continue with in the Committee on Trade and Environment 
in Special Session (CTE-SS) with the view of r eaching agreement on the fulfilment of the mandate.  
TRIPS/CBD 
58. We urge that, in order to establish a mutually supportive relationship between the TRIPS 
Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity  in implementing the obligations under the two 
agreements, the outcome of the negotiations in TRIPS Council in Special Session should lead to 
mandatory requirement for patent applicants to disclose the origin of biological material and 
traditional knowledge used in their inventions, evid ence of prior informed consent and benefit sharing 
arrangements with the country of origin and the relevant communities. 
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT 
59. Considering  the difficulties African countries face in  using the dispute settlement mechanism 
in order to promote and safeguard their interests as  well as their legitimate expectations in the 
multilateral trading system, we urge that the out come of the DSU negotiations should lead to a 
conclusion that would facilitate the full participa tion of African countries in the dispute settlement 
system in line with the African Group proposal (TN/DS/W/92).  
AID FOR TRADE 
60. We emphasize  the need to ensure that the recommenda tions of the Aid for Trade Task Force, 
and those resulting from the proceedings of the Regional Review Meeting on "Mobilising Aid for 
Trade:  Focus Africa", held in Dar Es Salaam , Tanzania, on 1 and 2 October 2007, and of the 
Mobilizing Aid for Trade:  A Global Review, or ganized in Geneva from 18 to 21 November 2007, 
and from the activities set out in the Aid for Trade Ro admap proposed by the Director-General of the 
WTO and approved by the WTO Membership on 27 February 2009, are implemented effectively, 
consistently and coherently.  
61. We call  on all the bilateral and institutional develo pment partners, in light of the economic 
and financial crisis, to fulfil their pledges under th e Aid for Trade initiative, and to engage fully in 
country-led approaches for assisting African count ries, LDCs and low-income African countries, 
including acceding countries, in maximising the benef its of trade.  We call on the G-20 Summit, to be 
held in London on April 2nd 2009, to ensure that financial commi tments directed to Aid for Trade are 
maintained. WT/L/751 
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  62. We strongly recommend  that the regional dimension of projects and programmes initiated in 
Africa, in line with its developmental priorities, be taken into account, and that an appropriate and 
effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism be established. 
63.  We request the WTO Director-General to report on the outcomes of his consultations with 
WTO Members and observers countries, Internati onal Financial Institutions , Regional Development 
Banks and other relevant orga nizations on the proposed mechanisms for securing substantial 
additional financial predictable, sustainable and effective financing for Aid for Trade to help 
developing countries, particularly LDCs. 
64. We stress the need to distinguish between ODA financ ing that is made available to African 
countries under existing preferential arrangements, from  that mobilized to finance Aid for Trade.  We 
request the swift completion of sub-regional reviews for Africa, so that appropriate proposals will be 
made to enhance and accelerate progress made on ensuring aid effectiveness. 
ACCESSIONS 
65. We reaffirm  our full solidarity with all African countries that are in the WTO accession 
process, and urge all WTO members to facilitate  and accelerate the accession process for those 
countries.  With reference to the guidelines on the accession of LDCs adopted by the WTO members 
on December 10, 2002, we stress that the LDCs in th e process of accession should not be requested to 
negotiate concessions and commitments that go be yond those made by the LDCs members of the 
WTO.  We also emphasize that African developing  countries in the process of accession should not be 
compelled to make concessions incompatible with th eir level of development, and that go beyond the 
commitments undertaken by developing WTO members.  
66. We also call  on our development partners to intensif y the provision of technical assistance 
and support for capacity building at all stages of the accession process to acceding African countries. 
PROCESS AND CONCLUSION 
67. We underline  the importance of preserving and achievi ng tangible development results in all 
negotiating tracks of the Doha Round.  We further rea ffirm that achieving this goal in the negotiations 
represents an important multilateral response to th e unfolding global economic and financial crisis, 
particularly to African countries. 
68. We stress  the importance of preserving progress achieved so far in the DDA negotiations, 
and caution our partners against attempts to reinte rpret or change the well-established mandates, and 
to backtrack on commitments.  
69. We call  for the negotiations to continue to be carried out in a multilateral, inclusive and 
transparent manner based on members’ contributions, under the guidance of the  Chairpersons to 
ensure the full legitimacy and balance of the outcome. 
70. We reaffirm that Africa should be fully represented in all deliberations regarding the impact 
of the global economic and financial crisis on th e world economy, particularly on the economies and 
trade flows of developing countries.  We also str ess the urgent need to enlarge current international 
efforts to deal with the crisis, including tho se of the G-20, to include a balanced African 
representation.  
71.  We welcome  the invitation extended to the AUC Chairperson to attend the upcoming 
London Summit of the G-20.  On this important oc casion, Africa will deliver a strong message on the 
importance of the early conclusion of the Doha De velopment Round to ensure that markets remain  WT/L/751 
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  open to African trade, to reject protectionism and a ny measures that impede fair trade, to ensure the 
availability and affordability of trade finance, which is particularly vital to African countries, and to 
underline the crucial role that Official Developmen t Assistance (ODA) and Aid for Trade can play in 
helping African countries face the negative impact of  the crisis on their economies and developmental 
plans. 
72. We welcome the efforts of the Director General of the WTO to monitor, promote and 
mobilise the availability and affordability of trad e finance particularly for developing African 
countries and LDCs. 
73. We express  our appreciation to all development pa rtners who continue to support African 
countries in securing a fair, equitable and balanced multilateral trading system that takes fully into 
account the development objectives of the Doha Round. 
 
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