Cancun Led to Unity
of Approach in Developing World, says Munir Akram
By
Ibrahim S. Malick
Special to South Asia Tribune
UNITED
NATIONS: At the start of the WTO talks in Cancun Mexico, UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan issued a statement which said: "The rhetoric
of international trade does not match its reality" and urged
rich nations to address the needs of the poor and developing nations.
For those delegates who did not quite understand what was meant
by the statement it was made explicitly clear by Pakistan's Ambassador
to the UN, Munir Akram, during a panel discussion at the UN which
followed the collapse in Cancun. Representing the position of
the G20+ group of developing nations the Ambassador spelled out,
in point by point detail, why the "rhetoric" of the
WTO did not match its reality.
Akram
stated that the seeds of the collapse in Cancun were sewn during
the Doha Declaration, (named for the location of the WTO 2001
meeting in Doha, Qatar), which although was called a "development
agenda', only addressed a fraction of issues related to development.
"I
challenge any one to show me where in the document delivered at
Doha are the words development agenda" added Akram. It described
this phrase as a mere "slogan" incorporated at the end
of Doha when the US/EU realized that developing nations were not
happy with the outcome. To continue to depict this as a development
agenda is a "exercise in hypocrisy if not subterfuge"
he added.
Although
Ambassador Akram concurred with his co-panelist representing the
EU/US side John Richardson, in expressing pessimism about progress
in the WTO in the near future, he was optimistic about the alliance
of the G21 as a new phenomenon which was and would continue to
be formidable negotiating partner.
He
said the group took a "serious yet enlightened approach"
in Cancun and was able to negotiate deals both bilaterally as
well as trilaterally. This progress was undermined when the US/EU
side came back with a document which completely ignored the proposal
on cotton subsidies critical to West African nations who raised
the issue.
Akram
firmly went on to remind the other side that "even the problems
of small countries had to be addressed. They may be small but
they had the power to block it".
There
is a clear inequality in current trade relations between rich
and the poor nations. The developing nations need more market
access to developed nations. Akram, however, made it clear that
it would not deter the G20+ efforts, "prospects for Doha
round look dim. Is that a disaster for developing countries? I
don't think so!"
Much
of the discussion was in the context of the failure of Cancun,
Akram's presentation recast it as a story of success for the concept
of a unified approach amongst the developing world.
It
is important to note that although the formation of the G20+ was
led by Brazil, India, & China; both India and Pakistan worked
together in close co-operation in Cancun.
Akram predicted that this would be a "new negotiating dynamic"
moving forward. "I think developing countries will have greater
confidence in their ability to stand together." He stated,
"There are reasons to be positive".
