Global Policy Forum

The Group of 15 developing countries (G-15) is to meet in Bangalore, India from 17 August to discuss a common position for the WTO Ministerial in Seattle; ministers will also discuss common problems G-15 countries face with implementation of WTO agreements. The G-15 is comprised of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

With respect to the launch of a new round of global trade talks, India and other G-15 countries want developed countries to honour Uruguay Round commitments before moving forward with new trade negotiations. Asian developing economies in particular are concerned over developed countries' compliance with agreements on market access for textiles; and over developed countries' use of antidumping measures against developing countries exports.

The EU proposal to include talks on investment has met strong resistance from Asian trade negotiators. "Imagine the legal complications if all our difficulties with foreign investors ended up with the WTO Dispute Settlement Body," mused one official with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Developing countries also balk at attempts to include trade and labour linkage on the WTO agenda, which the U.S. favours. Malaysia's industrial trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz on 12 August called for the postponement of a new round of global trade talks until 2001 rather than launching them at the WTO Ministerial later this year. Ms. Aziz said that Malaysia would only agree to a new round of trade talks if the preparatory meetings for that round were postponed by one year. "As for Malaysia, we are busy with the issue of reviving our economy and this multilateral issue must be kept aside," Ms. Aziz said. She noted that developing economies could use the yearlong postponement to discuss in other forums such as the G-15 or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to prepare a common strategy for the next round of talks.

Malaysia is likely to find itself at odds with its partners in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) when ministers meet next month for their annual summit. Most of APEC's members, which include Japan, South Korea and Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. favour a new round of trade talks.

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