NEW DELHI: A number of least-developed countries and developing economies, including the African Group, Turkey and Costa Rica have stressed the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has to ensure that the ongoing global negotiations continue to remain multilateral. In the recent senior officials’ meet in Geneva, they said that while bilateral or smaller group meetings are necessary, the negotiations should involve the full membership in Geneva, a person close to the development has said.
In the informal mini-ministerial meeting in Delhi earlier this month, ministers had discussed the option of smaller groups examining certain main issues holding up the Doha round of WTO negotiations. It was felt that key countries could discuss certain issues amongst themselves as involving all 153 members could be a time consuming process.
The Doha round, which was launched in November 2001, seeks to further liberalise trade in agricultural & industrial goods and services besides improving rules of carrying out multilateral trade. Countries have decided to work towards concluding the round by the end of next year.
There are issues such as the level of special safeguard to be allowed to developing country farmers to protect them against import surges and the proposed tariff elimination in specific industrial goods sectors which directly concern countries such as the US, the EU, India, Brazil etc. Other issues such as cotton subsidies and tropical products also involve a handful of countries. “It was felt by many, including the US, that such issues should only be discussed in small groups to expedite decision making,” a government official who did not wish to be named told ET.
However, a part of the membership which includes LDCs, feels that the talks should not be exclusive to only some.
Source : The Economic Times