WTO:India pushes for permanent solution on public stockholding

The last serious effort to complete the round collapsed in the summer of 2008; the negotiations are now on year 14 with no end in sight. “The WTO has to adjust to a changing world environment”, saild Wilma Viviers, director of the TRADE research unit at South Africa’s North-West University.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the stalled Doha trade negotiations at a World Trade Organisation gathering this week have faded after the conference chairwoman rejected calls for a new approach. The President has clearly stated that agriculture issues are very important component of this developmental debate and as a result he expects this Ministerial to come out of outcomes which will be beneficial to all, she added.

Attempts are also being made by developed countries to redefine classification of WTO members to separate emerging nations such as India and China from other developing countries. Earlier in the day, General Azevedo said: “When we left Geneva, negotiators were still working to finalise deals that could include – steps on agriculture and food security, measures to improve transparency in some WTO agreements, a number of steps on special and differential treatment for developing and least-developed countries”.

“We took 18 years to deliver our first multi-lateral agreement in Bali, that’s way too long, we can’t wait another 18 years to deliver again”, WTO chief Roberto Azevedo told reporters Tuesday.

America has backed the thought of junking the present round of WTO negotiations, but others, directed by India, are in favor of persevering.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership 12-nation trade deal was agreed and signed in October between the United States and representatives of Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Rim countries.

“If it doesn’t, [the WTO] will increasingly struggle to make itself the central instrument for accelerating global trade, which is its aim”, Mr Steiner said.

At the margins of MC10, the EU and some EU Member States will also announce their pledges for the phase II of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the multi-stakeholder partnership aimed at supporting LDCs to mainstream trade into their national development plans and implement priority trade projects.

Ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, an expansion of the Information Technology Agreement and progress on an agreement that would that would open up trade of environmental goods are all on WTO’s agenda, Froman said. Farmers from poorer countries say they can not compete, given these levels of government support for their rivals.

He said the delay in concluding a plan on ending subsidies for farmers in the developed nations is straining the productivity of their counterparts in the developing countries. “We will face tremendous pressure to hold our ground on the Doha issues including the special safeguard mechanism”. Complying with WTO regulations at the present juncture would raise input costs for farmers already reeling from depressed crop yields. He urged WTO members to be flexible. Despite being a Trade Minister since May, he is yet to set up an email address for people to contact him directly and because he is not elected but sits in the House of Lords, he has does not have any constituents to answer to.