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    "id": 179052,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/179052/?format=api",
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    "content": "(Mr. Omingo): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) The World Trade Organisation negotiations meeting in July, 2008 was held in Geneva, and not in Davos as per the Question from the hon. Member of Parliament for Githunguri, hon. Baiya. What collapsed in July, 2008, was the Mini-Ministerial Conference (informal meeting), which was convened by the Director-General of WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy. The purpose of the informal consultations was to enable 35 Trade Ministers from key WTO members to provide impetus and practical decisions on key divergent issues being negotiated in Agriculture and Non- Agriculture Market Access (NAMA) modalities. I beg the indulgence of the House and hon. Members to expound on why the negotiations collapsed. I want to bring hon. Members up to speed with the negotiations. There were key issues for consideration by Trade Ministers such as:- (i) The formula for tariff reduction, Special Products (SP) for developing countries to be shielded from tariff reduction. (ii) Special Safeguard Mechanisms (SSM) to protect the sensitive agricultural products from sudden import increase in developing countries. (iii) Preference erosion mechanism to enable adjustment due to envisaged Most Favourable Nation (MFN) tariff liberalization. (iv) Reduction of subsidization of agricultural production in developing countries, among others. 3468 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 13, 2008 Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the most problematic aspect of the WTO trade negotiations was the treatment of Special Safeguard Mechanism. That is why hon. Members need to understand that the Special Safeguard Mechanisms in agricultural modalities is the major cause of disagreement in that meeting. The SSM is the instrument that many developing countries--- I seek the indulgence of the House to bring hon. Members up to speed in terms of those negotiations---"
}