Qatar Chamber Unveils 'Beyond Doha' World Trade Agenda

Doha, October 03 (QNA) - Qatar Chamber, host of the upcoming International Chamber of Commerce, 8th World Chambers Congress (ICC WCF), announced here on Wednesday the launch of a global initiative aimed at bringing the world together to shape a new trade agreement for the 21st century. The ICC Business World Trade Agenda, also known as "Beyond Doha", picks up where the Doha Round stalled and injects a new vigor in making globalization an inclusive process. "Qatar Chamber, together with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is playing a pivotal role in ensuring that business and trade are back on the international agenda as tools of global economic growth. As economies around the world struggle to cope with emerging challenges, the ICC Business World Trade Agenda is a remarkable new effort to advance global trade negotiations," a press release issued today by Qatar Chamber quoted Qatar Chamber and ICC Qatar Chairman, HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani as saying. "We must work together to define multilateral trade negotiation priorities for business and to help governments to set a trade policy agenda that stimulates economies and creates jobs. After all, we have a shared destiny, "HE added. Launched by ICC in December 2011 at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Geneva as an answer to an appeal from G20 leaders for new approaches to trade negotiations, the ICC Business World Trade Agenda includes a call on governments to conclude a trade facilitation agreement, advance the multilateral process under the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework, liberalize trade in services and lower barriers to trade in information technology products and services Work towards a multilateral framework on investment. "We are incredibly proud of associating and supporting this latest initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce for three years and look forward to it affecting positive change," said Sheikh Khalifa. The World Trade Organization is understood to support ICC's trade agenda, and global business will continue to provide input to governments in the lead up to the December 2013 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia. A WTO agreement on trade facilitation is expected to fuel gains of at least $130bn per year worldwide, with most of the gains benefitting developing countries. Since the launch of the Agenda, ICC has been mobilizing international business - representing small, medium and large enterprises that produce the goods and services traded daily throughout the world - to define a practical and forward-looking multilateral agenda, through a series of consultations around the world for regional inputs, including a planned session in Doha in November ahead of the WTA Business Summit to be hosted by Qatar Chamber. The WTA Business Summit comes on the sidelines of the biennial ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) 8th World Chambers Congress on 22 April 2013. Being held in the Middle East for the first time and organized by ICC and WCF, the 8th World Chambers Congress will welcome chamber and business leaders from more than 100 countries from 22-25 April 2013 at the Qatar National Convention Center. Under the theme "Opportunities for All", the unique platform will feature dynamic plenary sessions and interactive working sessions on topics at the heart of a chamber's local and international agenda. These include SMEs and the world economy, education and unemployment, women in business, and youth entrepreneurship. "Doha has long been credited to give the world the ambitious Doha Development Agenda (Doha Round) at the 9th round of multilateral trade negotiations during the World Trade Organization's 4th Ministerial Conference in November 2001, and it is only poignant that we gather in Doha again to agree on a singular agenda in these pressing times," said Qatar Chamber Director General and ICC Qatar CEO, Remy Rowhani. "Qatar Chamber has been supportive of various ICC initiatives - including the ICC G20 Advisory Group - and is the voice of not just the region but a potent force in shaping a new trade legacy for the future," added Rowhani. "It is crucial that governments work directly with the global business community to find answers to the current economic crisis," said ICC Chairman Gerard Worms. "Opening trade and investment offers a stimulus to the global economy and would give business the clear sign that governments will not resort to protectionism." (QNA)