Developing countries ask for concrete progress in Doha Round

Developing countries Friday fired developed countries and demanded a specific date on cutting export subsidies and giving duty-free and quota-free market access to poor countries.

At a news conference given by developing counties together, the first of its kind in the WTO history, coordinators and representatives from the developing countries, such as the ACP ( representing countries from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific), Group-20 (representing emerging economies), African group and LDCs (least developed countries), all called for the developed countries to show the nature of their offer in Hong Kong instead of playing games.

The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the WTO, which opened here on Tuesday, has entered its fourth day, yet no concrete progress has been announced so far despite long time negotiations between the developing and developed countries.

Representatives from developing countries blamed the rich countries for avoiding a date for cutting export subsidies by taking the excuse of domestic pressure.

Dipak Pafel, minister of trade of Zambia and coordinator of LDCs, spoke frankly, "We don't believe (empty) promises. Give us date and numbers."

Brazilian Foreign Trade Minister Luiz Fernando Furlan, who is also coordinator for G-20, reminded the WTO members that the theme of the Doha Round is development.

He criticized the rich countries for asking "the poor countries to give more in other market access" in return for their compromise in agriculture.

He warned this would derail the main objective of Doha.

Kamal Nath, Indian minister of trade and coordinator for ACP, said, "The EU and the US are demanding being paid for what they should do."

Meanwhile, the business groups from developed countries are demanding their ministers fight for service trade access, fearing the negotiations on services might be weakened by the issue of agriculture.

Source: Xinhua