AREQUIPA, Peru: Trade ministers from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum have drafted a manifesto urging nations to take immediate steps to prop up the limping Doha round of global trade talks.

The World Trade Organisation negotiations are meant to lower trade barriers around the world and allow free trade among countries of varying prosperity.

The round has sputtered and gained momentum a handful of times since it was launched in November 2001, snared usually on differences between developed countries and major developing countries like China and India.

The draft statement, a strongly worded endorsement of Doha round negotiations, is to be made official on Sunday at the end of a two-day meeting of trade ministers in Peru’s southern city of Arequipa.

“We are deeply committed to strengthening the global trade system so that it is predictable, based on transparent rules, promotes trade liberalisation and grants more economic opportunities to members of the WTO,” the draft statement said.

The Doha round, now in its seventh year, faces a crucial test in coming weeks. Mediators last week published proposals they hope can achieve a breakthrough by helping to close the gaps before an expected meeting of ministers from WTO countries in June or July.

“We had a very long discussion about the urgency of concluding this round,” Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean said on the sidelines of the meeting of Apec countries.

There is also a new sense of urgency to drive the round forward ahead of the US presidential election, which may cause years of further delays.

Peruvian Trade Minister Mercedes Araoz said at the Apec meeting that the draft document was meant to give a “political” boost to the negotiations in the WTO to bring down trade barriers.

“We have talked about concrete advances in agricultural and non-agricultural issues, which are the two pillars that will help move all the other issues forward,” Araoz said during a break in talks.

The watchwords in the Apec effort are “balance” and “flexibility,” officials said, and the major issues are access for agricultural goods and for non-agricultural market access, or Nama.

“There is a very strong view that engagement needs to be immediate and the delivery on the modalities needs to be within the next month for so,” said Crean.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said in Brussels this week the chances of a successful conclusion to the Doha Round of talks on a global trade deal were 60%.

Yesterday, Lamy said developed and developing nations could still wrap up the Doha round of talks on a global trade deal this year.

“I still believe its doable this year,” Lamy said on the sidelines of a meeting of the Apec forum.

“We know how to get there. We need to cross this bridge of agricultural subsidies, industrial tariffs and agricultural tariffs soon, now, because otherwise we will not have enough time to cross this bridge to finish the road.”

The WTO’s Doha negotiations to bring down barriers to exports around the world are now in their seventh year but face a crucial test in the next few weeks, after which the US presidential election may cause years of further delay.

Lamy said yesterday that the countries were progressing and that all the actors were ready to smooth out remaining issues, including areas like anti-dumping, fishery subsidies, environmental goods and environmental services.

“There still are a number of issues that need to be finalised,” he said.

Agencies

Published: Monday, 2 June, 2008, 02:00 AM Doha Time

Source: www.gulf-times.com