1. Mr. Chairman, let me first congratulate you Ambassador Sophastienphong, on behalf of the Norwegian delegation, on your election as Chairman for the CTD-SS, and thank you for assuming this responsibility.
Norway thinks the mandate of this Special Session is very important and an integral part of the Single Undertaking. We have agreed to what has been said earlier – when there is a breakthrough in other areas of the negotiations, this committee must not be found wanting.
We have done a lot of work on the remaining agreement-specific proposals, and it should be possible to agree on a package of decisions that will make the respective S&D provisions more precise, effective and operational.
With regard to proposal 13 on GATT art. XVIII, this provision is a rather lengthy and complicated text, and we have struggled a bit to see what would be the practical implications of different textual proposals. We have been particularly preoccupied with the principle of due process, avoiding purely unilateral decisions from the country that believes it is entitled to use the provision, and taking into consideration the rights of other Members, particularly Developing and Least-Developed Members.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
2. Mr. Chairman, as far as the Monitoring Mechanism is concerned, we think that the committee made substantial progress during 2007. Norway would favour a simple, practical structure anchored in the CTD – whether in Dedicated Sessions, a Sub-Committee, or the Regular Session itself – and with periodic debates in the General Council. When deciding the format of the structure, one could perhaps look at the ‘totality’ of different monitoring arrangements that are being developed. Since the mechanism will be new, it could be allowed to ‘evolve’ as we go, but it should have some clear terms of reference from the outset.
With regard to the scope, we think it should be ‘forward-looking’ and monitor both existing and new S&D provisions.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.