An Assessment of the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference. Hong Kong. 13th – 18th December 2005

The 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong resulted in a modest agreement that failed to achieve a major breakthrough on core issues. While some technical progress was made in agriculture and NAMA, and some flexibilities were granted to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), significant fault lines remain. The author argues that the EU is the primary obstacle to progress due to its reluctance to make substantial agricultural concessions, while simultaneously pressuring developing countries for greater market access in industrial goods and services.

• The Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting did not produce a major breakthrough for the G20, but rather a "small and significant step forward" in the Doha Round, with only incremental gains for LDCs and vulnerable developing countries.
• In agriculture, the EU agreed to eliminate export subsidies by 2013, provided a "substantial part" is realized by the end of the first half of the implementation period, though many groups had pushed for a 2010 deadline.
• A key achievement for developing countries in the NAMA negotiations was the decision to link the level of ambition in market access for Agriculture and NAMA, ensuring they are "comparably high".
• The proposed 'Development Package' failed to materialize in Hong Kong, specifically regarding the US offer of duty-free, quota-free market access for LDCs, which was rejected because it allowed a 3 percent exemption that could exclude key export products.
• LDCs secured significant agreements on Special and Differential Treatment, including new flexibilities to not comply with the TRIMS agreement until 2020, featuring a 7-year transition period for existing measures.
• On cotton, the US agreed to eliminate cotton export subsidies in 2006 and support duty-free, quota-free market access for LDC cotton exports, but refused an 'early harvest' to reduce trade-distorting cotton subsidies.
• The author identifies the EU as the main obstacle to the Doha Round's success, citing Commissioner Peter Mandelson's stance that the EU cannot be pushed into an agreement that "simply is not there" regarding agricultural concessions.

APA

Ismail, F. (2006). An Assessment of the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference. Hong Kong. 13th – 18th December 2005. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Faizel-Ismael-Hong-Kong-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Ismail, Faizel. An Assessment of the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference. Hong Kong. 13th – 18th December 2005. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2006. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Faizel-Ismael-Hong-Kong-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ismail |first1=Faizel |title=An Assessment of the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference. Hong Kong. 13th – 18th December 2005 |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=20 January 2006 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Faizel-Ismael-Hong-Kong-Assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ismail2006assessment, author = {Ismail, Faizel}, title = {{An Assessment of the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference. Hong Kong. 13th – 18th December 2005}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2006}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Faizel-Ismael-Hong-Kong-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }