(L-R) Brazilian Minister of External Relations Celzo Luiz Amorim, Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and US Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab attend a news conference after the Informal Trade Ministers Dialogue on Climate Change Issues meeting in Jimbaran, Bali island yesterday.--Xinhua/Reuters

There was still a divergence of views on how best trade can help to mitigate and adapt to climate change, whilst keeping development objectives in mind, said the Indonesian trade minister in Bali yesterday.

"We are considering to work together with international agencies to study further how international trade would contribute positively to the climate change issue," said Minister Mari Elka Pangestu after ministers and vice ministers of trade and representatives of international organizations wrapped up their two-day informal dialogue on climate change.

The Informal Trade Ministers Dialogue on Climate Change (ITMD),initiated by the government of Indonesia, was held on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This is the first meeting among trade ministers on climate change issues.

Trade ministers as policy makers have conducted open and in-depth discussions on important issues on climate change which become the concern of the world including the developing countries. And at the end of the informal dialogue, they proposed a number of recommendations as a contribution concerning the issues of trade and climate change, said Mari Pangestu at a press conference.

In undertaking multilateral actions, the dialogue emphasized the need to fully respect multilateral principles that exist in both the climate change and international trade context. Such principles include the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities, non-discrimination, transparency, science and rules based and special and differential treatment.

It was stressed that international trade, development and climate change are mutually supportive. And international trade plays an important role in concerted multilateral efforts to address climate change issues for the future of sustainable development.

It was also stressed that whatever policies or mechanisms implemented to combat climate change must be taken in such a way as to minimize adverse social and economic impacts, and in a manner that is compatible with international trade rules so as it would not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discriminations or a disguised restriction on international trade.

The ministers suggested the following concrete proposals:

-- The urgent and successful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, including the environment mandate.

-- More comprehensive study and better empirical evidence on the linkages and interface between international trade development, and climate change, to enhance understanding and to enable trade ministers to take informed and more appropriate actions.

-- Intensify high-level engagement and interaction on the issue of international trade and climate change.

-- Encourage future hosts of UNFCCC Conference of Parties' meetings to hold further dialogues as trade ministers platform on the issue of international trade and climate change, and to look at the possibility of holding a joint session with finance and development Ministers.

-- Strengthen and enhance engagement between the WTO and UNFCCC through information exchange mechanisms with the view to better improve the mutual supportiveness of international trade and climate change objectives.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, which opened on Monday, went into a recess yesterday.