Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 1 Oct 2003

Vol. 571 No. 2

Written Answers. - Overseas Development Aid.

Joan Burton

Ceist:

119 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the commitment contained in the Irish Aid review to harmonise aid programme aims with positions to be taken at international fora, was honoured at the recent international meeting in Cancún, Mexico; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21064/03]

The report of the Ireland Aid review committee which was endorsed by the Government last year recommended that: "Efforts should be made to ensure that the positions taken by Ireland in international negotiations on, say, agriculture, trade, the environment or fiscal matters are congruent with what the country is attempting with its development aid programme".

The Government's preparations for the WTO Ministerial meeting at Cancún involved close co-operation between the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Agriculture and Food. The drafting of national policy papers and the preparation of national statements took full account of the development dimension of the trade talks.

In Cancún, the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, who is responsible for development co-operation and human rights, was one of the three Ministers who represented the Government. This was the first occasion in which an Irish Minister with responsibility for the development portfolio had participated in a WTO ministerial. Minister Kitt's presence at Cancún highlighted the importance we attach to international trade as a means of achieving our development objectives of reducing poverty and inequality. The Government's aims at Cancún were to protect and promote Ireland's interests, including our agricultural interests, through further trade liberalisation and to advance the development dimension of the Doha Trade Round.

The Ministers at Cancún worked in a co-ordinated and coherent manner to achieve an outcome which would be just and equitable for developing and developed countries alike. Regrettably, the talks failed and a significant opportunity to make progress has been lost.

The Government remains committed to securing a fair and balanced outcome to the Doha Development Round. We will continue to work towards this end over the coming weeks and months. In this context, we recognise the importance of achieving maximum coherence between our trade and development policies. We believe that it is possible to reach a multilateral trade agreement which promotes pro-poor growth and fair market access while ensuring that key national interests, particularly in relation to sensitive products, are fully respected.

Question No. 120 answered with Question No. 114.

Barr
Roinn