 PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/344
4 June 2003
(03-2894)
GROUP OF EIGHT SUMMIT
Supachai supports group of eight consensus on Doha development
agenda
Director-General Supachai welcomed the support of the Group of Eight nations for the timely
conclusion to the Doha Development Agenda global trade talks, but urged leaders from the world’s
richest nations to transform their pledges of support into action at the negotiating table so that anambitious outcome can be achieved by the 1 January 2005 deadline.
“I welcome the support the Doha Development Agenda has received from G-8 leaders and from
the dozen or so other heads of State and Government invited to Evian by President Jacques
Chirac. But these pledges of support must be translated into action soon if the Cancún Ministerial
Conference and our subsequent efforts are to provide benefit for the world’s citizens, particularlyfor the 2 billion who live in dire poverty, ″ Dr. Supachai said.
During two days of meetings with world leaders, Dr. Supachai stressed the need for concrete
progress in the negotiations before the September 10-14 WTO Ministerial Conference in
Cancún, Mexico. Dr. Supachai said he was encour aged by the fact that the leaders were fully
aware of the important links between trade expansion, development and poverty alleviation. In atime of increasing economic uncertainty across the world, the Director-General said it was
essential for the world’s leaders to work to foster growth and development.
“One of the best ways to create such an environment is through a successful conclusion to the
Doha round. ″
The Director-General expressed a ppreciation to the leaders for working to resolve the politically
charged issues of agriculture trade reform and access to medicines for the poorest countries.
"I realize that rolling back subsidies and trade barriers in the area of agriculture trade requires
leaders to take difficult decisions.  I understand too the difficulties involved in developing a system
for enhancing access to medicines for people in poor countries while preserving the incentives thatentrepreneurs require if they are to continue to make the investments that are necessary to
continue the research and development of new drugs. On both of these issues we need to
establish a climate of trust and cooperation beca use absent an agreement in these two areas a
successful outcome to the Doha negotiations is not possible. This would be a tremendous setback
in the fight against global poverty, " the Director-General explained.PRESS/344
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In the course of the two days of meetings, Dr. Supachai also met bilaterally with many of the
leaders and discussed a range of issues including the accession of Algeria, the Russian Federation
and Saudi Arabia to the WTO, the sluggishness of the global economy and the proliferation of
regional trade agreements.
END