US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE604

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000604 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EB/MST/NISSEN 
STATE PASS USTR/BOHLING 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR KEHOE 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, NL, UNCTAD, WTRO, EUN 
SUBJECT: UNCTAD XI: NETHERLANDS POSITION 
 
REF: STATE 51412 
 
1.  (SBU) The Ministry of Economic Affairs responded to 
demarche requested ref a by noting that the Netherlands 
attaches considerable importance to UNCTAD XI and hopes that 
It will exert a positive influence on the Doha Round 
negotiations.  Although the Dutch do not want UNCTAD XI to 
interfere in matters that are under direct negotiation in 
the Doha Round, they believe that the conference must 
address major trade issues affecting developing countries. 
In this regard, they believe UNCTAD can play a positive role 
in 
a) developing further the "Singapore Issues" (mainly 
investment and competition); 
b) promoting the importance of South-South trade; 
c) preparing countries for the effects of the erosion of 
trade preferences as the WTO establishes a true level 
playing field. 
 
2.  (SBU) MEA indicated that in EU 133 Committee meetings, 
the European Commission (which has competence in the 
European Union over trade issues) has expressed the view 
that UNCTAD XI should not be used to disrupt the Doha 
process or to alter the WTO negotiating agenda.   UNCTAD XI 
should be instead used to set UNCTAD's work program for the 
coming years, taking as a starting point that UNCTAD should 
do what it is best placed to do  --  analysis, assistance, 
and advocacy. That implies promoting a prominent role for 
trade in international and regional policy in and between 
developing countries, promoting integration between 
developing countries, and helping developing countries in 
becoming less dependent on trade in commodities. 
 
3.  (SBU) For the first half of the UNCTAD conference (June 
13-15), the Dutch delegation will be led by Development 
Cooperation Minister van Ardennes.  Van Ardennes was a 
member of the Dutch delegation at Cancun and frequently 
interprets her role as ensuring that developing country 
interests are taken into account.  On March 16, Van Ardennes 
will depart and be Economic Affairs Minister Brinkhorst will 
take over as Dutch Head of Delegation.  Brinkhorst was a WTO 
Vice Chairman and Head of the Dutch delegation in Cancun. 
Brinkhorst is a staunch advocate of open trade and 
investment markets and of the multilateral trading system. 
Other Economics Ministry members on the Dutch delegation 
will be Wim van der Leeuw and Ashraf Khan.  Van der Leeuw 
and Khan are long-standing Embassy contacts who can be 
expected to be sympathetic to U.S. positions.  They will 
likely attend upcoming Geneva prepcoms as ell. 
 
Sobel