Date:09/01/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/09/stories/2003010908871200.htm

National

'Make Doha Development Agenda a success'

By P.Vikram Reddy

HYDERABAD Jan. 8. In a fervent appeal to make the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) a success, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Supachai Panitchpakdi, has said the process of multi-lateralism must be kept alive for the good of all nations.

Speaking at the plenary session on "Build Up: The Road to Mexico" at the partnership summit and at a press conference later, he emphasised that the `Doha Work Programme' could only be completed if Cancun (Mexico) meet in September was successful. "If this round fails, we all fail, and all lose in terms of multi-lateralism, globalisation and liberalisation".

Though the Doha meet agreed that current negotiations should be concluded by January 1, 2005, he felt inclined to wrap-up the negotiations soon and suggested that the summer and autumn of 2004 should be treated as the `closure period', as many nations would be having elections after that.

The 2003 spring would have deadlines in negotiations on agriculture, services and market access, for non-agricultural products. By May 2003, agreements on improvements and clarifications to the Dispute Settlement Undertaking (DSU) wiould be required, he pointed out.

" The DDA is unlike other rounds and we have to come to a final agreement, otherwise it will mean failure and missed opportunities and will impair multi-lateralism, he warned. Asked what would be the situation if negotiations fail, he replied that it would create a strong negative impact against the credibility of the WTO, though he did not anticipate it happening.

India must stay in the rounds (negotiations) and contribute to the process and search for resolving issues. `It should not underestimate itself', he said. Terming the outcome of the year-long DDA negotiations as "mixed", he said there was a certain unevenness in the progress. Issues left unattended at Singapore and Doha needed to be discussed. and progress on all fronts was needed to fulfill the agenda.

Dr. Supachai said the three issues of TRIPS, Subsidies and Duties, and Implementation related issues, will get his priority over the next few months.

On TRIPS, he said the only area of difference remaining was interpretation of the Doha Agenda. He was confident every country would agree on a humanitarian aspect.

Members must give a push to the negotiations and ensure all areas move forward in a balanced way, and India stood to gain by engaging positively in trade negotiations, India was not selling out, but becoming a major player by which it had opportunity to reap considerable benefits.