Indonesia re-elected as President COP of the GSTP-UNCTAD

Geneva, Switzerland | December 05, 2007 by D-8 Secretariat

Indonesia has again entrusted to be the President Committee of Participants (COP) of the Global System of Trade Preference among Developing Countries/GSTP-UNCTAD, reports the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry website. Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja is elected in unanimity to replace Ambassador Dr. Makarim Wibisono, who will end his term in Geneva, and elected as President of COP in December 2006. The election was held in the 25th session meeting of Committee of Participants, on November 22nd, 2007 in UN building, Geneva, led by Dr. Makarim Wibisono.

Apart from that, the recommendation from Indonesia to set up an Open-Ended working group to push ahead the 3rd round meeting of GSTP that has been in deadlock for 5 months also received encouraging supports. The last meeting was held in June 2007. The open-ended working group shall be led directly by the President of COP, Indonesia. The working group is expected to be able to explore common ground on various tariff reducement modality options, as well as to bridge up the huge position differences among the member states by at the latest March 2008. Formal GSTP meeting process will remain to be led by Argentina, as the Chairman of the Negotiating Committee, and the open-ended working group is expected to be a supporting element to the whole process.

Realising the recent existing differences, COP president, Dr. Makarim Wibisono, once again reminded the significance of political support toward the success of 3rd round meeting of GSTP, which is expected to be agreed before the 12th Conference of UNCTAD in Accra, Ghana, on 20-25 April 2008. As a new elected president, Amb. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja also stressed the significance of wide support from all member states, considering the limited time available to reach all these goals.

Committtee of Participants/COP is a committee set up to monitor the implementation of GSTP Agreement and to push forward negotiation process. The COP presidency is an annually elected term, and can be re-elected according to the situation. The COP president will be assisted by 2 deputy president from Africa and Latin America region. Marocco is elected to represent Africa, while to represent Latin American Region, so far no figure has been decided yet.

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