IM Fiyoo

THE DOHA ROUND 2001
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 work programme covers about 20 areas of trade. The Round is also known semi-officially as the Doha Development Agenda as a fundamental objective is to improve the trading prospects of developing countries. The Round was officially launched at the WTOs Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. The Doha Ministerial Declaration provided the mandate for the negotiations, including on agriculture, services and an intellectual property topic, which began earlier. In Doha, ministers also approved a decision on how to address the problems developing countries face in implementing the current WTO agreements. The Doha Development Round or Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is the current trade-negotiation round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which commenced in November 2001. Its objective is to lower trade barriers around the world, which will help facilitate the increase of global trade. As of 2008, talks have stalled over a divide on major issues, such as agriculture, industrial tariffs and non-tariff barriers, services, and trade remedies. The most significant differences are between developed nations led by the European Union (EU), the United States (USA), and Japan and the major developing countries led and represented mainly by Brazil, China, India, South Korea, and South Africa. There is also considerable contention against and between the EU and the USA over their maintenance of agricultural subsidiesseen to operate effectively as trade barriers. The Doha Round began with a ministerial-level meeting in Doha, Qatar in 2001. Subsequent ministerial meetings took place in Cancn, Mexico (2003), and Hong Kong (2005). Related negotiations took place in Geneva, Switzerland (2004, 2006, 2008); Paris, France (2005); and Potsdam, Germany (2007). The most recent round of negotiations, 2329 July 2008, broke down after failing to reach a compromise on agricultural import rules. After the breakdown, major negotiations were not expected to resume until 2009. Nevertheless, intense negotiations, mostly between the USA, China, and India, were held in the end of 2008 in order to agree on negotiation modalities. However, these negotiations did not result in any progress. How the negotiations are organized ? The negotiations take place in the Trade Negotiations Committee and specific negotiating groups. Other work under the work programme takes place in WTO councils and committees.
Virtually every item of the negotiation is part of a whole and indivisible package and cannot be agreed separately. This is known as the single undertaking: Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The implementation decision Around 100 implementation issues were raised in the lead-up to the Doha Ministerial Conference. The implementation decision, combined with paragraph 12 of the main Doha Declaration, provides a two-track solution. More than 40 items under 12 headings were settled at or before the Doha conference, for immediate delivery; and the vast majority of the remaining items are immediately the subject of negotiations: > Agriculture > Non-agricultural market access > Services > Intellectual property > Trade and development > Trade and environment > Trade facilitation > WTO rules > Dispute Settlement Understanding Development: the heart of the Doha Development Agenda When they launched the Doha Round, ministers placed development at its centre. We seek to place developing countries needs and interests at the heart of the Work Programme adopted in this Declaration, they said. We shall continue to make positive efforts designed to ensure that developing countries, and especially the least developed among them, secure a share in the growth of world trade commensurate with the needs of their economic development. In this context, enhanced market access, balanced rules, and well targeted, sustainably financed technical assistance and capacity-building programes have important roles to play. Development Aspects of the Doha Round: A Secretariat round-up of issues of interest to developing countries and the potential gains in all areas of the round
WTO LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Agencies, donors boost coordination on food safety, animal and plant health aid Strengthened coordination to improve results in a number of areas feature in a new
medium-term strategy for 2012-16 adopted on 10 January 2012 by a five-agency programme to help developing countries meet international standards on food safety and animal and plant health. US appeals clove cigarettes dispute panel report On 5 January 2012, the United States notified the Dispute Settlement Body of its decision to appeal the panel report in dispute case DS406, United States Measures Affecting the Production and Sale of Clove Cigarettes. WTO extends adoption deadline for panel reports in origin labelling dispute At the joint requests of Canada, Mexico and the US, WTO members meeting as the Dispute Settlement Body agreed on 5 January 2012 to extend to 23 March 2012 the deadline for the adoption or appeal of the panel reports in the case about country of origin labelling (COOL) requirements. US retaliation request in Airbus case referred to arbitration At the meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 22 December 2011, the United States introduced its request (WT/DS316/18) for authorization to impose countermeasures against the European Union in the Airbus case. Australia donates AUD 14 million to WTO development programmes At the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference of 15-17 December 2011, Australia announced it will give three donations to WTO development programmes. Australia will offer a donation of AUD 8 million to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) for 2011-2015, a grant of AUD 3 million to the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and will make a contribution of AUD 3 million to the International Trade Centre (ITC). EU informs WTO of its implementation of Airbus rulings At the meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body on 19 December 2011, the EU announced it had taken all appropriate steps to implement the Airbus rulings. The US challenged the EUs claims
ASSIGNMENT
ROHAN JHAVERI TYBMS A - 27

IM Fiyoo

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

IM Fiyoo

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

IM Fiyoo

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE DOHA ROUND 2001

WTO LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

ROHAN JHAVERI TYBMS A - 27

You might also like