Statement of Canada – Trade Negotiation Committee - July 15, 2024
Canada supports all efforts to move us in the direction of more engagement, more negotiating, and more results, in particular when efforts are open, transparent, member driven, and innovative. The last is very important to us- we cannot keep doing the same things over and over. The world is watching, and we don’t have time for that anymore.
We have seen these efforts over the past months in several areas including fish, agriculture and dispute settlement.
In all three of these areas, the Chairs have done good, even exceptional, work. Almost all members have rallied to put “member driven” into action, by reaching out to each other, in different configurations and with different ideas, with the goal of helping make the negotiations, the special sessions, more productive.
In all three of these areas, there has been a lot of work done. I believe we are almost there on fish. We will not arrive only if we decide not to do it. On agriculture, we have something that will put us into CoA SS in negotiating mode. On DS, we are on our way with many options that have been fleshed out.
We talk a lot about trust. I must say that I must agree with my Australian counterpart and what others have also said - if we continue to, on one hand say that we are committed to the system and to results, but on the other hand get bogged down with procedural and systemic negativities and while preventing the majority to move forward - this will not do much to maintain and build trust.
I maintain hope that we are moving forward to build results.
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