November 16, 2001
The Catholic Aid Agency CAFOD says the final declaration of the WTO Summit in Doha places a heavy negotiating burden on developing countries. They will struggle to build on its positive words and to avoid pitfalls in new and complex areas.
The stage is set for a re-run of the Uruguay Round, repeating its outcome of unfair and unbalanced agreements that have damaged the prospects of numerous developing countries.
CAFOD's Head of Public Policy, George Gelber, says, "Developing countries now have to negotiate on a huge number of complex issues. They have repeatedly said that that they neither want nor have the capacity to discuss its four "new issues", especially investment and competition.
"Their one safeguard is the last minute ruling of the conference chair that any country can block negotiations on any one of the new issues when all the member countries meet again in two years' time. But developing countries, especially the smaller ones, have repeatedly been bought off or threatened when they have opposed the US or the EU line."
CAFOD has been calling for a new approach on trade, making trade rules that work for the poor, rather than being decided purely on the basis of narrow economic self-interest and commercial lobbying. Doha has failed to achieve this. The world's richest nations resisted every concession to developing countries in the text, especially on agricultural export subsidies, textiles and patented drugs.
Nevertheless there have been achievements for developing countries. They have faced down the US and big pharmaceutical corporations to ensure that public health needs come before patent protection. They have won some improved special treatment for poor countries within the WTO rules.
On agriculture, there is also some good news - pressure on the EU to reduce their subsidies, which lead to the dumping of food on world markets, and strong language on the need for special treatment of poor countries which should lead to any future agreement acknowledging the crucial social role of agriculture in developing countries.
Doha marks the start of negotiations, not the end. The inclusion of twelve huge issues in the declaration means that the talks will take longer than the scheduled three years. It is far too early to talk of a 'development round'. If trade rules are to be changed to benefit the world's poor, the Doha declaration's many references to development will need to be converted from pious hopes into action. To date, the WTO's track record on this is lamentable.
Much will depend on the developing countries consolidating their newfound strength, and the North learning to listen more, and bully and preach a good deal less.
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