Following is a letter sent to the Editor of the Financial Times:
Sir,
This weekend began what could be the last opportunity for a group of people to decide to pick up the €35 billion that is lying around ready to be picked up. This amount is estimated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to be the potential increase in worldwide welfare gains resulting from a successful Doha Round. The letter from Bernard Meric Chair of the Executive Council of the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union shows one way (“G8 leaders must unite to break the Doha deadlock” Financial Times July 15, 2006)
This weekend when the G8 meet, the seven richest countries, no prizes for guessing which one I am leaving out, should consider that they will be decisive in causing the Doha Round to reach port successfully or not. Rich countries are the ones that should offer the most but seem to be the least prepared to do so.
Much talk about their concern for world poverty and about wanting to help to change it. Much talk about wanting to resolve the problem of illegal immigration into the west. Much talk about wanting all markets to be open for all trade. Much talk about wanting to reduce software and copyright theft and insisting that poor countries do more to combat this theft. Much talk!
How much less than the $2 a day that hundreds of millions of the world’s citizens try to live on, do we want them to settle for before we think that it is our turn to be fair to them, and not just continue catering to our own vocal minorities?
In the final analysis, nothing much will happen in the west, as those that benefit from a successful Doha Round do not attribute their potential gains to these negotiations, while those that suffer know clearly the direct impact on their livelihoods and talk of compensating them does not convince. They will protest vocally and, in some cases, violently.
Onésimo Alvarez-Moro
See letter:
From Mr Bernard Meric.
Sir, As the leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised nations meet in Russia this weekend, we call on them, particularly President George W. Bush and leaders of European Union member states, to put every effort into ensuring a successful conclusion to the World Trade Organisation talks.
Trade liberalisation in the agricultural, non-agricultural goods and services sectors will contribute significantly to economic growth in developed and developing countries alike. We understand that in the Doha round of WTO talks, there are two critical issues standing in the way of trade liberalisation: the level and nature of agricultural subsidies in the US; and conditions for market access in certain agricultural products in the EU.
See full Letter (paid subscription required).
Posts
