RIP Doha Round - Another WTO Collapse

[Joanne98]

July 29, 2008

RIP Doha Round - Another WTO Collapse in ‘Make or Break’ Talks Shows New Direction Is Required; Victory for Small Farmers, Workers, Civil Society And Developing Nations as WTO Expansion Bid Is Again Defeated in Geneva

Statement of Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch Division

Thank God no deal was reached, because the proposal under consideration would have exacerbated the serious economic, food security and social problems now rocking numerous countries.

The moldering corpse of the Doha WTO-expansion round should have been buried years ago. Hopefully, after this latest rejection of the Doha agenda, countries will move on to a new agenda focused on fixing the existing WTO rules.

Countries’ unwillingness to concede on particular themes is the proximate cause for the collapse, but government positions were based on strong public opposition in many poor and rich nations alike to expanding WTO scope and authority after more than a decade of experience of the WTO’s damaging outcomes. By calling a ministerial summit to try to force agreement on a WTO expansion agenda opposed by many countries, WTO Secretary General Pascal Lamy set up the conditions for yet another direct blow to the beleaguered global commerce agency’s shaky legitimacy.

The WTO’s 14-year lifespan has sparked a dramatic wave of popular protest across the world, and this week’s talks were no different, with small farmers, fishers and workers protesting in various national capitals and teams of civil society activists traveling to Geneva to remind their countries’ WTO delegates of the political consequences at home of damaging compromises.

Continued>>>
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2710

[eppur_se_muova]

1. *muted cheers* nt

[Robbien]

2. At least with the WTO the poorer countries could band together

and fight unfair trade practices. The USofA has been doing an end run around these WTO negotiations by setting up individual FTAs with each poorer country with the poor coming out on the losing end of the deal each time.

I am more relieved that the Fast Track license Bush had for FTAs has expired where now each one has to be approved by Congress.

[Demeter]

3. If WTO Hasn't Done Anything Useful or Helpful in 14 Years, then It Should Be Disbanded

The concept was flawed from the start.

[arikara]

4. Thank goodness...

the sooner these repressive investor's rights agreements all crumble into dust the better for the world.