Ministerial Conference of the WTO 10th
15/12
days, ministers of member countries to the World Trade Organization WTO began
meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. Speaking
at a press conference opening session, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Foreign Trade, Amina Mohamed of Kenya, who chaired the WTO Ministerial
Conference 10th, mentioned the ability of WTO members will have to decide to
quit WTO
negotiating power if not reach a trade agreement before the end package
Conference. According
to Ms. Mohamed, member states are simultaneously voiced that negotiating
function of this organization is in trouble; WTO
ministers will have to find a new way of negotiating or remove content from the
WTO negotiations, the WTO will then focus on dispute settlement, trade policy
review and other issues.
Speaking
at a press conference earlier, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said that
the WTO is undergoing a fundamental change, and it takes 18 years to achieve
the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) at the Ministerial Conference 9th
Mr. Azevedo also said that at this meeting is more likely the member states
reach agreement on the information technology agreement to expand. According
to Azevedo, is still likely to achieve trade agreements and the package is the
Declaration of the Ministers at this meeting if the negotiator expressed
flexibility and willing to negotiate and compromise.
Both
the host country Kenya and the Director-General hopes th Ministerial Conference
will be 10 WTO Ministerial Declaration. However,
officials and observers are skeptical about the results of the Conference due
to differences in opinion in matters of agriculture, which has a special
defense mechanism (SSM) and the storage problem serving food plus food
security. Agricultural
importing countries such as India and Indonesia to boost reserves SSM and
issues of food security, but faced opposition from agricultural exporting
countries such as Brazil and Argentina. The
developed members such as the US, EU and Japan have called for ending Doha
Round; while
the developing countries including China wishes to achieve clear wording on the
continuation of the Doha Round under the current structure nay./.
(Source: US
DSQVN)