§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will propose(a) restrictions on the size of the delegations of rich countries to the WTO and GATS meetings, (b) that the money saved be passed directly to countries which cannot afford to send delegations to these meetings and (c) that the voting at these meetings be proportional to the size of the populations they represent. [120405]
§ Ms HewittThe Government believe that it is important that all WTO Members are able to participate effectively in WTO negotiations. We are therefore working to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to participate in the WTO and in the international trading system. In doing so, we are helping developing countries and development agencies to build trade policy capacity in both national capitals and in Geneva, where many of the least-developed country Members of the WTO still have no permanent representation. Since 1997, we have committed £45 million to trade-related technical assistance and capacity building.
802W
£ Market Amounts at risk Unrecovered claims Moratorium interest Total (incl. MI) Abu Dhabi 25,792,665 0 0 25,792,665 Algeria 47,412,908 143,703,262 0 191,116,169 Angola 0 54,037,320 55,760,006 109,797,326 Anguilla 135,735 0 0 135,735 Antigua and Barbuda 0 3,197,134 0 3,197,134 Argentina 14,507,659 34,097,429 2,973,142 51,578,230 Australia 66,086,995 4,582,107 0 70,669,103 Austria 16,597,685 0 0 16,597,685 Azerbaijan 13,881,235 0 0 13,881,235 Bahrain 142,282,270 69,466 0 142,351,736 Bangladesh 65,208,062 0 0 65,208,062 Barbados 6,807,567 0 0 6,807,567 Belgium 85,408,750 9,956,409 0 95,365,159 Benin 0 2,491,246 169,666 2,660,912 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 975,089 535,784 1,510,873 Brazil 251,528,094 219,870,948 86,506,905 557,905,948 Brunei Darussalam 85,784,186 0 0 85,784,186 Burma (Myanmar) 0 23,053,590 0 23,053,590 Cameroon 0 26,719,101 32,412,449 59,131,551 Canada 246,479,473 787 0 246,480,260 Central African Republic 0 144,746 198,513 343,259 Chile 330,129,806 0 0 330,129,806 China 1,802,641,883 0 0 1,802,641,883 Colombia 16,479,702 0 0 16,479,702 Congo 0 58,027,462 98,419,660 156,447,122 Congo, Democratic Republic of 0 24,887,981 24,824,518 49,712,499 Costa Rica 203,654 0 0 203,654 Cote D Ivoire 539,974 24,067,789 10,304,976 34,912,738 Croatia 43,263,244 55,560,452 3,486,477 102,310,173 Cuba 0 52,619,660 52,349,579 104,969,239 Cyprus 14,188,934 1,400 0 14,190,333 Denmark 18,823,979 0 0 18,823,979 Dominica 7,770,045 806,108 0 8,576,154 Dominican Republic 44,520,996 0 0 44,520,996 EC Market n/k 8,544,922 0 0 8,544,922 Ecuador 0 28,693,116 31,560,208 60,253,324 Egypt 98,596,530 138,460,494 18,319,561 255,376,585 Egypt (Business to 31/12/93) 123,785 0 0 123,785 El Salvador 51,228,945 0 0 51,228,945 Ethiopia 0 10,996,464 437,028 11,433,492 Finland 24,711,201 0 0 24,711,201 France 12,811,724 86,752 0 12,898,476 Gabon 0 75,090,151 56,957,478 132,047,629 Ghana 73,442,414 39,440,596 834,664 113,717,673 WTO meetings generally operate on a consensus basis, with agreement reached only when all WTO Members are content with the outcome. As a result, occasions for formal voting are rare but, when they do occur, take place on the basis of one member, one vote, regardless either of the size of countries' populations or of their economic power within the international trading system.