. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/L/366
30 October 2000
(00-4521)
Original:  English
TWENTY-FIRST MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE CAIRNS GROUP
Banff, Canada
10-12 October 2000
Communication from Australia
The following communiqué from the 21st Ministerial Meeting of the Cairns Group held in
Canada, has been received from the Permanent Mission of Australia with the request that it be
circulated to Members.
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CAIRNS GROUP COMMUNIQUE
1. Ministers at the 21st meeting of the Cairns Group said they continue to be deeply concerned
with the plight of their farmers and processed food industries.  “Those of our people whose
livelihoods depend on rural industries are suffering genuine hardship.  World agricultural and agri-
food markets remain highly distorted by export subsidies, huge levels of domestic support and
severely restricted access to markets, including tariffs, sanitary and phytosanitary and other non-tariffmeasures.”
2. Despite important Uruguay Round outcomes, total support and protection for farmers in
developed countries now exceeds US$360 billion - a return to the damaging levels of the mid 1980s.
3. In view of increasing distortions to world agri cultural markets, Ministers said they welcome
the start made to the WTO agriculture negotiations.  “But beginning the negotiations is not enough.
The WTO needs to work expeditiously towards a conclusion.”  Ministers agreed that agricultureshould be treated with the highest priority in the mandated negotiations underway in the WTO.
4. “Fundamental reform of world agricultural and agri-food markets is necessary to ensure
sustained improvements in the well being of all the world's people.  This is both a political and moralresponsibility.”  Ministers said that the Cairns Group therefore has a central role in pushing the
negotiations forward.
5. Ministers said that these agriculture negotiations must remove the blatant discrimination
against agriculture and processed food in the WTO.  “The time has come to deliver on the Uruguay
Round objective to correct and prevent restrictions and distortions.”  Ministers affirmed their
commitment to establish a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system.  “This is important for
the Cairns Group and the WTO membership as a whole.”
6. Ministers noted that Cairns Group negotiating proposals, based on the  Cairns Group Vision
Statement,  so far cover the elimination of export s ubsidies and major reductions leading to the
elimination of trade distorting domestic subsidies.  A market access proposal is being prepared forWT/L/366
Page 2
November 2000.  Ministers encouraged other WTO Members who have not done so to submit reform
proposals as soon as possible and to begin preparing for the second stage of the negotiations from
March 2001.  Ministers discussed the various proposals which had been tabled in Geneva and
instructed their officials to prepare recommendations for further action.
7. Cairns Group Ministers agreed that achieving real and early reform is essential for the future
of the multilateral trading system.  It will also reduce the potential for trade disputes and avoid
unnecessary strains on the WTO.  Ministers said that in the absence of progress in the negotiations,
inevitably there would be pressure to examine other options for securing reasonable treatment foragriculture in the WTO after 2003 when the “Peace Clause” expires.
8. Ministers said that policies which damage other countries cannot be justified on the pretext of
non-trade concerns.  The issue for the agriculture negotiations is not about the legitimacy of certainpolicy objectives but about the instruments used to pursue them – these must not be trade distorting.
9. Ministers welcomed the significant role played by developing countries in the WTO
agriculture negotiations and the growing recognition that achieving agricultural reform is essential for
eradicating poverty.  Nothing is more important to countries which rely heavily on their agricultural
sectors than achieving open, fairer and more market-oriented international agri-food and fibremarkets.  While development assistance must rema in an essential element in helping developing
countries realise their potential, Cairns Group Ministers stressed that aid should not be a substitute for
trade.  Improved market access and agricultural reform by developed countries are essential to unlock
development.
10. Ministers said that in addition to providing improved market access opportunities and
removing unfair subsidized competition in domestic and export markets, the agriculture negotiations
must also deliver concrete and operational special and differential treatment provisions for developing
countries.  “Reform and special and differential tr eatment are both central elements in ensuring that
developing countries have the necessary means to address crucial rural development and food security
objectives through the negotiations.”  Ministers also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that the
Marrakesh Decision on least developed and net food-importing developing countries is made more
effective.
11. Ministers welcomed the participation in the Banff meeting of their colleagues
Dr. Franz Fischler (EU Commissioner for Agricult ure), and Dr. Youssef Boutros-Ghali (Egypt's
Minister for Economy and External Trade).  The involvement of these special ministerial guests of the
Cairns Group underscored the importance of successf ul agriculture negotiations to the whole WTO
membership.
12. Ministers welcomed a statement from Cairns Group farm leaders, who were also meeting in
Banff, underlining the importance that industry attaches to early and significant agricultural tradereform.
13. Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Canadian Government for hosting the 21
st Cairns
Group meeting in Banff from 10-12 October 2000 and to the people of Banff for their warmth and
hospitality.  The Cairns Group ministerial meeting in 2001 will be held in Uruguay.
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