International Herald Tribune | October 29, 2001 | By Alan Friedman
On Nov. 9, the World Trade Organization will hold a high-level meeting of ministers in Doha, Qatar, aimed at starting a new round of global trade talks. The previous effort, in Seattle, collapsed in December 1999 amid unprecedented anti-globalization riots. Mike Moore, the director-general of the WTO, discussed prospects for the Doha summit meeting with Alan Friedman of the International Herald Tribune.
Q. Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chairman, has said he is worried the globalization process could be set back by the terrorist attacks. What is your view?
A. I think Greenspan is absolutely right. I think that globalization has been set back already, but of course one way to rebuild confidence in globalization is to launch a new trade round at the Doha meeting. It doesn't even have to be called a round, just so long as it is a wide enough negotiation to bring everyone in.
Q. But aren't there security concerns about bringing together the world's trade ministers in the Middle East?
A. I think security is an issue anywhere in the world right now. My mind goes back to the G-7 at Genoa, when there were some on the streets who wanted to protest peacefully, those who wanted to beat up McDonald's and the third level of horror, where we had an alert about a possible terrorist attack on the G-7 leaders. I think the Qatari officials are doing everything they can on security.
Q. How bad have the Sept. 11 attacks been for world trade?
A. There is a sizable drop in trade growth, and it is costing jobs and revenue everywhere. And the poorest will be hit the most. I think after Sept. 11 the slowing world economy was slowed further, and those who just asked what Europe and the United States could do for them are now finding out what happens when Europe and the United States slow down. Jobs are lost, and this can accelerate the protectionist sentiment.
Q. Can the WTO really start new talks amid the fear and confusion of the war against terrorism?
A. I think the economic downturn has focused minds, and we realize that we are all each others' customers.
Q. But what is different this time from the failure in Seattle that makes you think you can have a success?
A. The answer is two years of hard work by ambassadors and ministers, so people have adjusted their ambitions.
Q. But Seattle failed because of trans-Atlantic differences over agriculture and other sectors, and because of a chasm between the North and the South. Now there are also trans-Atlantic differences over steel, and developing countries are unhappy about U.S. and European efforts to link environmental standards to trade. All of these problems remain. What makes you so optimistic?
A. These are serious problems. It is true that there are still major differences which can bring us to our knees. Agriculture is an area where everyone is pursuing their national interests, and the links between trade and the environment are more problematic because some countries are increasingly influenced by Green parties. But the trans-Atlantic relationship is now better. The relationship between Pascal Lamy (the European Union trade commissioner) and Bob Zoellick (the U.S. trade representative) is pretty good, and they are both highly intelligent guys.International Herald Tribune:
