Maran discusses Doha strategy

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 6. India and the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific States) group have stressed the need to redress implementation-related concerns of developing countries without linking them to a new round of trade negotiations. This is in the context of their efforts to evolve a common strategy for the coming Doha Ministerial conference of the World trade Organisation.

The Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran, held discussions on this issue with the visiting Foreign Trade Minister of Jamaica, Mr. Anthony Hylton, also chairman of the ACP Trade Ministers' Group. The group comprises 77 countries of which 55 are WTO members.

Both the Ministers strongly felt that any negotiation on new issues should be taken up only as a consensus among members and there should be no surprises at Doha. Such a consensus, it was felt, could come about only if implementation issues were resolved satisfactorily, contentious non-trade issues kept off the table and developing countries convinced about the need for including any new item on the WTO agenda. Forcing any new issue without consensus could risk a failure at Doha which would not augur well for the WTO, they said.

The Ministers agreed that the Singapore conference issues of trade facilitation, transparency in government procurement, investment and competition policy were not yet ripe for any decisions for multilateral negotiations as there was no consensus on these issues. They were against the use of environmental measures for protectionist purposes. The Ministers also opposed the inclusion of any linkage of trade with labour standards in the WTO.

During the talks, they noted that developing countries in the Uruguay Round undertook onerous obligations but the promised benefits had yet to be realised and there was considerable unrest and unease in the public mind in these countries. Both the Ministers emphasised that implementation-related concerns of the developing countries should be redressed up front without linking them to any negotiations as these were a hangover of the Uruguay Round. The developing countries had already paid for this and could not be expected to pay again, it was stated.

The developed countries should show political will and good faith to redress implementation-related concerns of the developing countries. The early resolution of these concerns would contribute substantially in restoring confidence of the South in the WTO.

The Doha conference should take stock of progress and give policy directions on the mandated negotiations and reviews. It should also review the progress of resolution of implementation issues and deepen work on confidence-building. It was felt that a post- Doha agenda, comprising mandated negotiations, reviews, ongoing work of study and analysis in the working groups and work relating to confidence-building would provide a balanced and full programme of activities till the next Ministerial conference.

Mr. Maran indicated that India would support the Jamaican Minister's proposal for establishing a work programme in the WTO to suggest measures to protect interests and spur the growth of small and vulnerable economies.

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