TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 237

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11 One major UK concern will be to extract a quid pro quo from the developing

world for any liberalisation that may be decided. But if it seems desirable to

link this to negotiations in a new Round, timing will be a problem. The MFA

falls to be renegotiated in 1986, which may be a little early for a new Round.

Initiatives for a new GATT Round

12

Many of the issues described in paras 5 to 11 above have already been

addressed as part of a work programme initiated by the GATT Ministerial meeting

of November 1982. But progress has been limited and essentially procedural.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Nakasone, took the initiative in November 1983 to

propose a comprehensive multilateral negotiation in the form of a new GATT Round.

This proposal was supported by the United States. EC Member States were initially

more cautious but a majority are now clearly in favour. The general expectation

is that the Ministerial work programme will merge into a new Round.

13

Participants at the London Economic Summit in May 1984 agreed "to consult

partners in the GATT with a view to decisions at an early date on the objectives,

arrangements and timing for a new negotiating Round". At the meeting of GATT

Contracting Parties in November 1984, the European Community called for a GATT

meeting at senior official level, in the course of 1985, which would assess the

extent to which a consensus had emerged to start a new Round. This call was

strongly supported by Japan and the USA. The suggested timetable would probably

imply a Ministerial session in 1986 actually to launch a new Round. But doubts

remain about the participation of the developing countries (see paras 18-20).

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