CANCUN WTO MINISTERIAL: HOLY SEE SEEKS FOCUS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004002

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN
DEPT PASS TO INFO WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION COLLECTIVE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2013
TAGS: ETRD PREL VT WTRO
SUBJECT: CANCUN WTO MINISTERIAL: HOLY SEE SEEKS FOCUS ON
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

REF: A. A) VATICAN 307


B. B) 02 VATICAN 6004

CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES D. BRENT HARDT. REASON: 1.5 (B) AND (D
).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: FRANK DEWANE, UNDER SECRETARY OF THE
VATICAN'S COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, WHO WILL LEAD THE
VATICAN'S DELEGATION TO THE CANCUN WTO MINISTERIAL, TOLD
CHARGE AUGUST 27 THAT THE HOLY SEE WOULD PRESS TO ENSURE THAT
"HUMAN DEVELOPMENT" WOULD BE A CENTRAL PART OF THE DIALOGUE
IN CANCUN. IN THE VIEW OF THE HOLY SEE, PROGRESS IN TRADE
AND DEVELOPMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY ATTENTION TO ITS
IMPACT ON PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES. IN THIS CONTEXT, DEWANE
HAD URGED RAPID RESOLUTION OF THE TRIPS ISSUE TO ENSURE POOR
COUNTRY ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL MEDICINES, AND A MORE DETERMINED
EFFORT TO DEAL WITH AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES. THE VATICAN
RELEASED SEPTEMBER 3 A STATEMENT TO HOLY SEE DIPLOMATIC
MISSIONS IN PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTERIAL, WHICH CALLED FOR
A NEW COMMITMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF THE POOR AND AN
ALLOWANCE OF GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR POOR COUNTRIES IN THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF TRADE RULES. END SUMMARY.

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HOLY SEE LINKS TRADE RULES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
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2. (SBU) FRANK DEWANE, UNDER SECRETARY OF THE VATICAN'S
COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, WHO WILL LEAD THE VATICAN'S
DELEGATION TO THE CANCUN WTO MINISTERIAL, TOLD CHARGE AND
POLOFF AUGUST 27 THAT THE HOLY SEE WOULD PRESS TO ENSURE THAT
"HUMAN DEVELOPMENT" WOULD BE KEPT IN SHARP FOCUS IN CANCUN.
WHILE THE VATICAN DOES NOT INTEND TO GET INTO THE WEEDS IN
TECHNICAL MATTERS, IT FEELS IT HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN
PROVIDING "ETHICAL GUIDELINES" FOR TRADE AGREEMENTS. AS THE
HOLY SEE STATEMENT FOR CANCUN (FULL TEXT FAXED TO EUR/WE)
NOTES, "TRADE SHOULD BENEFIT PEOPLE, NOT JUST MARKETS AND
ECONOMIES." IN THIS REGARD, THE VATICAN PLANS TO CALL
ATTENTION TO THE EFFECTS OF TRADE REGULATIONS ON PEOPLE,
PARTICULARLY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD. ACCORDING TO THE
VATICAN STATEMENT, PRESENT AGREEMENTS HAVE OFTEN NEGLECTED
THESE CONCERNS.

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ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL
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3. (SBU) IN THE CANCUN PREPARATORY DOCUMENT, THE HOLY SEE
CALLS FOR THE WTO TO TAKE BETTER STOCK, ON A
COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY BASIS, OF HOW TRADE REGULATIONS ARE
AFFECTING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT -- IN PARTICULAR THE ABILITY OF
COUNTRIES TO DEAL WITH POVERTY AND SOCIAL ISSUES SUCH AS
ACCESS TO FOOD, WATER, AND EDUCATION AS THEY IMPLEMENT WTO
AGREEMENTS. THE DOCUMENT WARNS AGAINST A "ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL"
APPROACH TO TRADE REGULATIONS WHEN DEALING WITH DEVELOPING
NATIONS. AS DEWANE SAID, WTO RULES SHOULD BE BIASED IN FAVOR
OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF POORER NATIONS, AND ALLOW FOR
FLEXIBILITY IN POLICY-MAKING BY THEIR GOVERNMENTS.

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TRIPS
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4. (SBU) MEETING WITH US JUST PRIOR TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE
ACCESS TO MEDICINE ISSUES OF THE AGREEMENT ON TRADE-RELATED
ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (TRIPS),DEWANE
EMPHASIZED THAT THE VATICAN RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF
PROPERTY RIGHTS, HAVING ITSELF HELD PROPERTY FOR CENTURIES.
BUT HE EXPLAINED THAT THE HOLY SEE SEES A KIND OF COMMONLY
HELD "SOCIAL MORTGAGE" ON SUCH PROPERTY THAT DEMANDS THAT
CONCESSIONS BE MADE TO THE COMMON GOOD. CONCRETELY, THE
VATICAN'S CANCUN STATEMENT SAYS THERE IS AN "OBLIGATION OF
THE RICHER COUNTRIES TO TACKLE AND REMEDY AND SHORTCOMINGS
AND LESS FAVORABLE CONDITIONS OF POOR COUNTRIES AS IF THEY
WERE INTERNAL PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN."


5. (SBU) CHARGE NOTED THE USG'S COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS THE
PROBLEMS OF THOSE COUNTRIES MOST IN NEED AND SPECIFICALLY OUR
DETERMINATION TO ACHIEVE A RESOLUTION OF THE TRIPS ISSUE THAT
REFLECTED THE SHARED U.S. AND HOLY SEE DESIRE TO OFFER
LIFE-SAVING MEDICINES TO THE MOST NEEDY. CHARGE EMPHASIZED
THAT WE HAD TO STRIKE A BALANCE THAT WOULD PROVIDE DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE DRUGS FOR HEALTH EMERGENCIES
FROM THIRD COUNTRIES WHILE STILL GUARDING AGAINST ABUSE OF
THE PATENTS OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES THAT COULD UNDERMINE
FUTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. DEWANE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT
THE BALANCING ACT BETWEEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND
ACCESS WAS A DIFFICULT ONE, BUT EMPHASIZED THAT FOR THE HOLY
SEE, PRIORITY MUST BE GIVEN TO THE NEEDS OF THE MOST
VULNERABLE. FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESOLUTION OF
THE ISSUE, THE HOLY SEE'S ACTING FM CONVEYED TO CHARGE THE
HOLY SEE'S SATISFACTION WITH THE OUTCOME.


NOTE: NOT PASSED TO ABOVE ADDRESSEE(S)

VATICAN 00004002 002 OF 002

THAN EUROPE ON THE AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES ISSUE. WHILE HE
INDICATED THAT LAST YEAR'S CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS ON DOMESTIC
SUBSIDIES HAD GENERATED SKEPTICISM IN MANY QUARTERS ABOUT THE
U.S. COMMITMENT TO REDUCING AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES, DEWANE
NEVERTHELESS THOUGHT THE EU (AND FRANCE IN PARTICULAR) WOULD
HAVE "A LOT MORE TO ANSWER FOR" IN CANCUN. THE HOLY SEE'S
FOCUS IN CANCUN WILL BE THE NEED FOR REFORMS IN MARKET ACCESS
FOR PRODUCTS OF POORER COUNTRIES, WHICH THE VATICAN STRESSED
"CANNOT BE PUT ASIDE INDEFINITELY." CHARGE EMPHASIZED THAT
THE U.S. WAS COMMITTED TO REDUCING AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES,
BUT WOULD NEED MOVEMENT FROM THE EU TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
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COMMENT: FROM DOHA TO CANCUN
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7. (C) THE HOLY SEE HAS WELCOMED THE PROGRESS MADE IN DOHA
TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF POORER COUNTRIES AND THEIR PEOPLE,
BUT WARNS THAT DOHA CAN ONLY BE A STARTING POINT IN A PROCESS
LEADING TO THE FULL INTEGRATION OF POOR COUNTRIES TO THE
INTERNATIONAL TRADING SYSTEM. IN THIS REGARD, THE HOLY SEE
WILL LIKELY SUPPORT CAPACITY-BUILDING EFFORTS, MARKET ACCESS
INITIATIVES WITHOUT INSISTENCE ON RECIPROCITY, AND
FLEXIBILITY IN IMPLEMENTING TRADE RULES. THEY BELIEVE THAT
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DOHA MANDATE TO GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO
THE NEEDS OF THE POOR CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY DECISIONS OF
THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, "WHICH MUST ASSUME THEIR PARTICULAR
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UNIVERSAL COMMON GOOD."

SEMBLER


NOTE: NOT PASSED TO ABOVE ADDRESSEE(S)

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2003VATICA04002 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL