Doha Round Failure Regrettable;Forum Sec
WTO COURSE
41/06
PRESS STATEMENT
7th August 2006
DOHA ROUND FAILURE REGRETTABLE; FORUM SECRETARIAT
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has expressed regret at the failure to conclude the Doha Round of negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the region had invested heavily in the Round's agenda.
For the region, the failure to conclude the round is regrettable because along with many other developing countries we have invested heavily into the Doha Agenda in spite of our meagre resources, Peter Forau, Acting Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat said.
Opening a one-week course on the Doha Development Agenda for Senior Officials of the Pacific Island Countries in Suva, Fiji today, Mr Forau said: It would be in our interest to see a speedy resumption of the negotiations. We certainly do not want to see all the hard work, resources and time that we have put into this go to waste.
The Doha Round, which is commonly referred as the Development Round, was launched in Doha, Qatar in 2001 and was scheduled to be completed by 1 January 2005 but is now close to two years behind schedule. Attempts to bring the round to a close have failed and the decision was taken recently to suspend the negotiations after talks among six major partners broke down.
This is a similar pattern to the Uruguay round which stalled largely over differences between the European Union and the United States over agriculture. The current impasse relates once again to agriculture, specifically on the issue of market access and domestic support.
The WTO is recognized as the main rule setting body on world trade matters and the pervasive reach of its policies affect most countries in the world.
Mr Forau said: While the current impasse at the WTO hinges heavily on the agricultural negotiations, other negotiations has been progressing and through the Small Economics Work Programme, proposals were progressively being submitted by our three WTO members, Fiji, Solomon Islands and PNG in the negotiations relating to such issues as fisheries subsidies disciplines and non-agricultural market access.
The WTO trade policy course is the fifth to be held in the region under an MOU signed between WTO and the Forum Secretariat. Participants will discuss the WTO institutional structure and the decision making process relating to its Agreements as well as issues relating to the Doha Development Agenda. ENDS.
For more information, please contact, Ms Gail Olson on phone (679) 331 2600
41/06
PRESS STATEMENT
7th August 2006
DOHA ROUND FAILURE REGRETTABLE; FORUM SECRETARIAT
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has expressed regret at the failure to conclude the Doha Round of negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the region had invested heavily in the Round's agenda.
For the region, the failure to conclude the round is regrettable because along with many other developing countries we have invested heavily into the Doha Agenda in spite of our meagre resources, Peter Forau, Acting Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat said.
Opening a one-week course on the Doha Development Agenda for Senior Officials of the Pacific Island Countries in Suva, Fiji today, Mr Forau said: It would be in our interest to see a speedy resumption of the negotiations. We certainly do not want to see all the hard work, resources and time that we have put into this go to waste.
The Doha Round, which is commonly referred as the Development Round, was launched in Doha, Qatar in 2001 and was scheduled to be completed by 1 January 2005 but is now close to two years behind schedule. Attempts to bring the round to a close have failed and the decision was taken recently to suspend the negotiations after talks among six major partners broke down.
This is a similar pattern to the Uruguay round which stalled largely over differences between the European Union and the United States over agriculture. The current impasse relates once again to agriculture, specifically on the issue of market access and domestic support.
The WTO is recognized as the main rule setting body on world trade matters and the pervasive reach of its policies affect most countries in the world.
Mr Forau said: While the current impasse at the WTO hinges heavily on the agricultural negotiations, other negotiations has been progressing and through the Small Economics Work Programme, proposals were progressively being submitted by our three WTO members, Fiji, Solomon Islands and PNG in the negotiations relating to such issues as fisheries subsidies disciplines and non-agricultural market access.
The WTO trade policy course is the fifth to be held in the region under an MOU signed between WTO and the Forum Secretariat. Participants will discuss the WTO institutional structure and the decision making process relating to its Agreements as well as issues relating to the Doha Development Agenda. ENDS.
For more information, please contact, Ms Gail Olson on phone (679) 331 2600
