Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

India blocks draft declaration at WTO

K R Sudhaman in Doha

India on Wednesday blocked the WTO draft declaration saying it could not be a party to the launch of new round of trade negotiations as the final draft did not address the concerns of developing countries on several issues including market access and linking trade to environment and labour standards.

As the ministerial conference, scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, was extended till Wednesday with the situation changing every minute, Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran told the plenary on Wednesday evening that New Delhi cannot be party to a 'consensus' on these issues in the draft, as it fell short of developing countries' expectations.

Maran said inclusion of investment, competition, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation into the work programme of WTO with specific commitment from 144 member countries to start negotiations after the fifth ministerial conference two years later was 'not acceptable to India'.

The refusal to delete controversial issues from the draft despite stiff opposition from developing countries was believed to have been done at the behest of hectic behind-the-scenes lobbying by the 15-member European Union with tacit support from US chief negotiator Robert Zoellick.

Last ditch efforts to pressurise India to fructify as Maran stood firm.

Zoellick, EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and WTO Director-General Mike Moore had several rounds of separate meetings with the commerce minister to rope in India for arriving at a consensus without which the draft could not be adopted.

As the plenary continued, Maran made it clear that India would not go with the draft unless it was modified to reflect New Delhi's proposals on the Singapore issues.

ALSO READ:
India and the WTO: News and issues

Money
Business News

Tell us what you think of this report