LAHORE, April 18: The Cairns Group’s ministerial meeting has called for action to save the Doha Development Round from failure as this would represent ‘a major blow for development, for agricultural trade reform and for the multilateral trade system’.

The Lahore Communiqué, released at the end of a three-day meeting on Wednesday, said: “A successful conclusion (of the Doha Round) is within our reach, particularly if substantial progress can be made in the weeks ahead. The (WTO) needs to find the breakthroughs that will allow the conclusion of the negotiations by the end of this year.”

The communiqué underscored the need for a ‘high-level political engagement’ from all members to deliver on the development promise of the (Doha) Round as the enormous global potential of the Doha Development Agenda can only be fully realised only if all WTO members are on board.

The communiqué said the Cairns Group was committed to securing a breakthrough, expressing a resolve to make a ‘constructive contribution’ to the negotiating process. “We are also committed to working with all members, the (WTO) Director General and the chief of the agriculture negotiations to support the multilateral process. We call on all WTO members to engage fully and flexibly in the chair’s ongoing process in Geneva,” it said.

The Cairns Group is the oldest group for trade negotiations. It focuses on the liberalisation of trade in agriculture. “We are the voice of our farmers’ ambitions. We believe that a free and open economy is good not just for nations but also for the farmers. Efficient farmers deserve an opportunity to sell their products at the best prices fairly and freely. We’re seeking the breakdown of the barriers (obstructing free agriculture trade) through the Doha Round.