WTO chief voices concern with slow progress in key negotiating areas
Roberto Azevedo, Director General, World Trade Organisation.Unhappy over not making the progress that is needed in the key areas of agriculture, industrial products and services, Roberto Azevedo, Director General (DG), World Trade Organisation (WTO) convened a meeting of all members in Geneva on June 1, 2015. The meeting discussed the current state of play in negotiations on the work programme to advance the remaining issues of the Doha Development Agenda. The Doha Round is the latest round of trade negotiations among the WTO membership. Its aim is to achieve major reform of the international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules. The DG said, “I will ensure that meetings of the full membership are held even more frequently from now on to ensure that members are fully briefed on all aspects of the negotiations. This will be essential to ensure that the necessary political calls can be taken in due course.” “Agreeing on a work programme was never going to be an easy task. But as of today we are still waiting for the necessary convergence on key issues in order to deliver the outcome we need by July and to help us build towards a successful ministerial meeting in Nairobi in December,” he added. Members agreed in November 2014 to agree a work programme by July this year as a springboard towards the WTO’s 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December. Azevedo reiterated his commitment to the transparency and inclusiveness of the negotiating process, which was a crucial element of the success in Bali in 2013. Yesterday’s meeting was the seventh meeting of the full membership convened so far this year.
June 03 | 8:11 am IST.
to success.