NEW DELHI, Feb 3: World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy has asked members of the multi-lateral body to adopt a “step-by-step” plan to conclude Doha round of talks, instead of a “big-bang” approach to open up global trade.
“We have to move step-by-step (to conclude negotiations). We have reached at about 80 per cent and the overall deal, which could not conclude, because of the missing 20 per cent,” he told PTI in an interview.
The Doha Round is going to conclude on the back of small steps, instead of a big-bang approach which is clearly is not available at the moment, he added.
The proposed deal has remained inconclusive for years due to differences between rich and developing nations on issues like subsidies in agriculture and fisheries, tariff cut in industrial goods and market access for services.
Lamy said, it would be difficult to conclude the talks for for “the Doha Round as a single package” on the “principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” for a variety of reasons.
Therefore, he suggested, that World Trade Organisation (WTO) member nations could move forward on issues like trade facilitation and matters related to agriculture on a priority basis, which would benefit all.
“This is a part of the Doha Round that can be concluded as early harvest,” Lamy said, adding that every member should agree on this if it has to be concluded this year.
Under the early harvest, rich nations, including the US, want India and other emerging economies to be part of the four major sectoral pacts -trade facilitation (TF), information technology (IT), environmental goods and international services agreement.
Ahead of the Ministerial Meeting in Bali in December this year, key members of WTO including India, USA and China may take stock of the Doha Round.
The Doha talks, launched in 2001, have missed several deadlines for its conclusion due to divergent views on some of the issues between developed countries like the US, and the developing nations such as India. (PTI)
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