ID :
13677
Thu, 07/24/2008 - 13:13
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13677
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NGOs seek tariff freedom for developing nations at WTO
Geneva, July 24 (PTI) Civil organisations and NGOs attending the W.T.O. meeting here have sought tariff freedom for developing nations as a defence against high import of certain sensitive items, and criticised the US for notagreeing to bring down farm subsidies to the acceptable level.
"The W.T.O. draft on agriculture does not reflects the ground realities prevailing in the developing countries," said National Cooperative Union of India (N.C.U.I.), part of the delegation of Asian Farmers Group on Cooperation which metW.T.O. Director General Pascal Lamy Wednesday.
The union said the developing countries should be allowed to impose tariff increase as a defence against high importsfrom developed countries.
"Developed countries like the US have refused to reduce their trade distorting subsidies from high levels to moderatelevels as demanded by developing countries," N.C.U.I.
President G.H. Amin said.
"The developed countries are putting pressure on developing countries like India and Brazil to yield to their demands or else be blamed for the failure of the talks. But, the latest draft texts in agriculture and NAMA modalities show that the 'rate of exchange' is still unequal," said Martin Khor, Director of Third World Network, another NGOrepresenting developing countries.
"The agriculture text continues to propose that the US reduce its allowed overall trade distorting support to a rangeof USD 13 to 16.4 billion. The US had indicated in W.T.O.
agriculture talks that it could consider the upper part of that range which is close to USD 17 billion it had alreadyoffered in Potsdam," he said.
Even if it offers the mid-point, or the lowest number in the range, this is still significantly higher than the reported USD 7 billion of its actual over-all trade distortingsubsidies in 2007 or the USD 11 billion in 2006, Khor said.
In a joint declaration, the Asian Farmers' Group claimed that the draft on agriculture could undermine the ability of the developing nations to provide food security to theirpeople and destroy the sustainable development in the sector.
Another delegation of farmers from Europe, Africa and Canada also told W.T.O. Chief Pascal Lamy that a trade deal being negotiated this week could ruin small farmers, harm the environment and increase hunger, and pointed out that theproposals were dangerous and unacceptable.
The W.T.O. had launched a five-day negotiations among its members, for new agreements to open world trade which should be fair and without distortions. The negotiations, launched at the Qatar's capital in 2001 and known as the Doha Round wereto complete by the end of 2004 for a new trade regime.
However, wide differences over the extent to opening the markets blocked several rounds of talks, including theMinisterial Meetings in Cancun and Hong Kong.
"The W.T.O. draft on agriculture does not reflects the ground realities prevailing in the developing countries," said National Cooperative Union of India (N.C.U.I.), part of the delegation of Asian Farmers Group on Cooperation which metW.T.O. Director General Pascal Lamy Wednesday.
The union said the developing countries should be allowed to impose tariff increase as a defence against high importsfrom developed countries.
"Developed countries like the US have refused to reduce their trade distorting subsidies from high levels to moderatelevels as demanded by developing countries," N.C.U.I.
President G.H. Amin said.
"The developed countries are putting pressure on developing countries like India and Brazil to yield to their demands or else be blamed for the failure of the talks. But, the latest draft texts in agriculture and NAMA modalities show that the 'rate of exchange' is still unequal," said Martin Khor, Director of Third World Network, another NGOrepresenting developing countries.
"The agriculture text continues to propose that the US reduce its allowed overall trade distorting support to a rangeof USD 13 to 16.4 billion. The US had indicated in W.T.O.
agriculture talks that it could consider the upper part of that range which is close to USD 17 billion it had alreadyoffered in Potsdam," he said.
Even if it offers the mid-point, or the lowest number in the range, this is still significantly higher than the reported USD 7 billion of its actual over-all trade distortingsubsidies in 2007 or the USD 11 billion in 2006, Khor said.
In a joint declaration, the Asian Farmers' Group claimed that the draft on agriculture could undermine the ability of the developing nations to provide food security to theirpeople and destroy the sustainable development in the sector.
Another delegation of farmers from Europe, Africa and Canada also told W.T.O. Chief Pascal Lamy that a trade deal being negotiated this week could ruin small farmers, harm the environment and increase hunger, and pointed out that theproposals were dangerous and unacceptable.
The W.T.O. had launched a five-day negotiations among its members, for new agreements to open world trade which should be fair and without distortions. The negotiations, launched at the Qatar's capital in 2001 and known as the Doha Round wereto complete by the end of 2004 for a new trade regime.
However, wide differences over the extent to opening the markets blocked several rounds of talks, including theMinisterial Meetings in Cancun and Hong Kong.
