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> The Doha Round has become the Obama Round
The Doha Round has become the
Obama Round
Al-Ahram Hebdo, December, 2009
Al-Ahram
Hebdo: Why has, in your opinion, the WTO 7th
Ministerial Conference not contributed to anything?
Nevertheless, the aim of the conference was to
revise the activities of the WTO and to precise the
organizations role at times of world crisis.
Atul
Kaushik: As regards these two topics, The World
Trade Organization’s Ministerial Conference has not
been able to do anything substantial. It has not
presented any solution to its members to adjust
existing disagreements, nor suggestions on WTO
having the strengths and the rules needed to manage
World Trade. I would have preferred a review of the
internal regulations of the WTO. No member presented
any suggestions for the formulation of its system.
Only India presented a suggestion containing 5
proposals, but these were unclear and inexact, and
were seen as inadequate.
The
Doha Round is expected to be completed in 2010. Does
this date seem tangible to you or are we heading
towards a failure?
The
organization would never accept, or more exactly,
would never declare the failure of the Doha Round.
Because its failure, would mean a failure of the
WTO. So, even if the negotiations fail, the WTO will
not announce it as such. The WTO will simply
announce conclusion of the discussions at another
time. In the best case, we are expecting the end of
the negotiations in 2010, but this would mean an
implementation of the agreements of a period of 3-4
more years. However, I do not think that this will
be the case. The Round and its implementation, which
is dedicated to development, could therefore last
for another 10 years.
\Which
are the main obstacles impeding Doha?
First of
all, the question is actually about the position of
the United-States and of the EU. It is now the
developed countries turn to make concession, but
this is not in their [US’s, EU’s] perception.
The new
Obama Administration is not ready to undertake the
required liberalisation of its market, especially in
the wake of the ongoing economic crisis. The Doha
Round has become the Obama Round. At the same time,
the European Commissioner who is in charge of the
matter on behalf of 27 European countries has been
replaced by someone whose position is not yet known.
This
battle gives the impression that there is a
confrontation between the farmers in developed
countries and farmers in developing countries.
It has to
be said that, for example, in the US, it is the big
agriculture/food companies that seize a large part
of the subsidy, and not the small farmers. And in
Europe, it has to be said that the farmers only
represent 1% of the European population, but still
seize 2/3 of the subsidies. The European
market is using farmers as an excuse to protect
itself. It is here that the role of the WTO is
needed: to construct a balance between the interests
of the two sides [farmers in developing and
developed countries].
Within
the WTO, countries create pressure groups, each
country in accordance with its interests. Could
these blocs win towards developed countries?
Unfortunately not; for the simple reason that the US
and the EU undertake majority of the World Trade.
Developing countries have not been able to
strengthen their cooperation in a way that makes
them get more access in the developed countries. For
example, in Africa and in the Middle-East, despite
the economic entities which have been created, the
US and the EU remain your main economic partners.
The same exists in for example Peru, and it’s the
same in other developing countries.
Atul Kaushik
(ak@cuts.org)
originally from India, Director of the NGO CUTS
Geneva, points out the weakness of the World Trade
Organization and comments on the future of the Doha
Round.
Interview by Nevine Kamel
The news item
can be viewed at:
http://hebdo.ahram.org.eg/
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