This update summarises key WTO Doha Round-related activities and developments.

Impasse in the WTO Doha Round negotiations

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round of trade negotiations will not be concluded this year. WTO Members recognised in June that a full Doha Round deal could not be agreed by the time of the end of the year. In June Members discussed the possibility of concluding a package of a smaller number of issues concerning least developed countries (LDCs) ahead of the rest of the Round. Unfortunately, deliberations on the content of such a package failed to produce any agreement.

By July, the WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy formally acknowledged the impasse in the Doha negotiations. The WTO is now engaged in a process of diagnosing the reasons for the stalemate as a means to re-group and develop agreement on how to take forward the negotiations. Discussions over coming months will be focussed on finding a way forward for the Round by the time of the WTO's Ministerial Conference on 15 to 17 December in Geneva.

Australian support for the Round

The Government is committed to sustaining and advancing the process of reform and liberalisation of trade policies, including conclusion of the Doha Round. Australia has been a strong supporter of the Round from the outset and as a free trading nation will do everything possible to chart a way forward for the Round. As recognised by the Gillard Government's April 2011 Trade Policy Statement, a completed Round would create a new wave of global trade liberalisation and strengthen the integrity of the global trading rules to achieve greater gains from trade.

It was clear from Trade Minister Dr Craig Emerson's ministerial engagements in May, at the APEC Trade Ministers meeting in Big Sky, Montana and at the meeting Dr Emerson's hosted in Paris during the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, that Ministers do not want to abandon the Round. Dr Emerson will continue to work to find a way forward for the Round, including through regular engagement with his counterparts.

WTO Eighth Ministerial Conference

The WTO's Eighth Ministerial Conference (MC8) will be held in Geneva from 15 to 17 December 2011. The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO and Ministers from the 153 WTO Members, including Dr Emerson, Australia's Trade Minister, are invited.

In his address to Trade Negotiations Committee in July, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy announced MC-8 would address both Doha and non-Doha issues.

Doha Development Round

This year MC8 will take place at a difficult time for the global economy and in the wake of stalled Doha negotiations. Despite the current stalemate, WTO Members remain committed to pursue constructive outcomes at MC8 and beyond. Australia will continue advocating a plan of action for negotiations in 2012. This will be essential to facilitate some progress in negotiations and to ensure the long-term integrity of the WTO as an institution.

In the lead-up to MC8, Australia has been advocating a range of new approaches to progress the Doha Round. Among other ideas, it proposes breaking the negotiations into smaller, more negotiable components and thinking of new innovative pathways to deal with more intractable issues. G20 and APEC Leaders have this month endorsed this sort of approach.

Australia is also keen for WTO Members to commit not to increase protection along the way.

Non-Doha issues

The priority for December will be strengthening the WTO systemically and maintaining its integrity as the institution responsible for multilateral trade rules. Discussions to date on non-Doha issues for consideration at MC8 have focused on strengthening and reinvigorating aspects of the existing WTO work programs and capabilities. Other issues that may be raised include extension of the e - commerce moratorium, global food security, strengthening the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism and broadening work on Regional Trade Agreements.

Please forward submissions or queries regarding MC8 to DFAT's Office of Trade Negotiations.