The regional think
tanks have suggested South Asian governments to seek effective market access on
items of export interest to developing countries and least-developed countries
(LDCs); market access in services, especially for Mode 4; financial and
technical assistance from developed country members for infrastructure
upgradation in developing countries and LDCs during the WTO’s ninth Ministerial
Conference scheduled to be held in Bali on December 3-6.
Amid growing
scepticism regarding the future of the multilateral trading system and the
conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda, a Kathmandu-based South Asia Watch
on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) and Colombo-based Institute of
Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) jointly organised a two-day regional
consultation on ‘Road to Bali: South Asian Priorities for the Ninth WTO
Ministerial’ in Marawila, Sri Lanka on July 2-3 and prepared a gamut of recommendations
for the South Asian government to take maximum advantages from the multilateral
agreement.
The consultation
also adopted a resolution that is to be submitted to all SAARC countries that
are WTO members, and to the SAARC Secretariat, so that they have a common voice
on some of the WTO issues to take to the nineth WTO Ministerial in Bali.
SAWTEE submitted
the resolution – today to commerce and supplies minister Shankar Koirala at his
office in Kathmandu – that is expected to help negotiate policy outcomes that
will be beneficial for all South Asian economies. It is important for SAARC ministers
to present a united front and push for the resolution of major issues
concerning the region in the Ministerial Conference in Bali, suggested SAWTEE
that has also reiterated the need for effective utilisation of flexibilities
available to developing countries under the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects
of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) – especially in the context of public
health – and putting in place effective monitoring mechanism for technology
transfer.
The resolution also focused on the provision of additional
Aid for Trade (AfT) funding for regional projects in South Asia, and
preferential AfT for LDCs, along with putting in place a robust AfT monitoring
and evaluation mechanism with full participation of recipient countries; and
enforcement of the duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access to LDCs on all
products of their export interest, in line with Annex F of the Hong Kong
Ministerial Declaration of 2005.
Presenting the
resolution to the minister executive chairman of SAWTEE Dr Posh Raj Pandey urged
him to take the lead and discuss the issues –suggested by the regional think
tanks – of common interest to South Asia when they meet in Colombo, and prepare
their negotiating positions for the ninth WTO Ministerial.
“Considering the fact that Nepal is currently
the chair of the LDCs group in the WTO, we should also utilise the SAARC
platform to support to causes espoused by the Group to benefit from the
multilateral trading system,” he added.
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