RESTRICTED
ESTRI
General Aspects of a Preferences Schone
7
-
and predictably ·
The Group also had a preliminary inconclusive discussion of some issues which would have to feature in any report it makes to the UNCTAD, on a preferences scheme. The issues discussed were:-
(a) Legal Status
The general view that preferences should bo a gift to the developing countries and that the donor countries should accept no legally binding obligation was clearly offirmed without dissent: the OECD Secretariat produced during the necting a short draft text on this issue for further discussion at the Group's next moeting. (b) Beneficiary Territories
The Chairman aired the idea of handling this difficult' problem by starting from the question of which to exclude rather than include (he specifically suggested South Africa, Israel and Cuba for a start) but his approch found little support. Di Martino and Laloux (Belgium) then suggested that a starting point might be to includo the UNCTAD Group of "77" (91 countrics now) but were vogue about how this list would be supplemented by other cases which would need to be added. There was no great support for this idea, either, with opposition particu- larly from Stachelin (Switzerland). The U.S. still favoured self-selection and Morris strongly affirmed the U.K.'s adherence to this principle as set out in the report of the O.E.C.D. Special Group of Four-i.e. including dependent territorios. The so-called developing countries of the 0.E.C.D. (Spain, Greece, Portugal, Turkey) argued at great length the need for them to be included in the list of beneficiary territories. The chairman's summing up was to the effect that in the absenco of agreement on anything else the Group by implication roncined commited to self-scloction.
(c) Duration of Preferences...
The Chairman suggested 10 years for the scheme with a guarantee to the developing countries that it would' not be terminated abruptly: since the effect of this
о
RESTRICTED
/was to
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.