Reuters / By Robert Evans
GENEVA, April 5 (Reuters) - A senior Qatari official said on Thursday his country wanted to offer "an island of peace" for a key meeting of ministers from the 140 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in November.
Abdullah Bin Ahmad al-Thani, who heads the information committee for the conference, also told reporters that non- governmental organisations (NGOs) attending would be allowed to express their views and demonstrate peacefully.
Qatar, he said, would be open "for people who want to come moderately to exchange views and tolisten to the views of others.
"We want to offer a peaceful island where we can all reflect on the future of world trade," he added.
Al-Thani was speaking after meeting representatives of a range of NGOs, some of whom took part in sometimes violent protests against the last WTO ministerial meeting in Seattle in December, 1999.
He said facilities would be provided for NGOs to put over their views and stage peaceful demonstrations if they wished.
Some groupings opposed to the WTO, which they regard as the motor of globalisation, have accused the organisation of agreeing to go to Qatar in order to avoid facing critics who have dogged many international meetings in recent years.
WTO officials reject this, noting that the decision to accept the Qatari invitation was taken by its member countries -- most of whom are poorer states whose interests the anti- globalisers say they want to defend.
Al-Thani said security would be aimed at ensuring that the some 4,400 ministers, trade negotiators, journalists and NGO representatives would feel safe and could carry out their work.
The conference would be held in a major hotel in Doha, the capital of the peninsula state, where several other international meetings have been staged in recent years.
His country hoped the gathering would agree on the launch of a new round of trade liberalisation talks between all WTO members.
"We are keeping our fingers crossed on that. It would be a good prize for all of us living in Qatar to have a launch of a Doha Round," he told a news conference.:
