Reuters | Nov. 9, 2003
BEIJING (Reuters) - Free trade talks are building momentum after a recent setback, and an upcoming meeting of African ministers could be "crucial" in getting them back on track, the head of the World Trade Organization said on Sunday.
"I don't agree with people who rate Cancun as a complete failure or as a collapse... or a fiasco. I think we suffered some setbacks," WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi told Reuters in an interview.
He was talking about a WTO meeting in Mexico in September that broke down without agreement on crucial issues such as agriculture or a promise to discuss problems like corruption.
"I think we are gathering some momentum. More and more countries are converging on the text (produced in Cancun) as something to build on for further negotiations," Supachai said.
"People will need time to do their own reflections. So I fully agree that we should not be too rash in our urging countries to come back to negotiation but at least we should not lose too much time," Supachai said.
After visiting China, which joined developing countries in Cancun to oppose some proposals by nations like the United States and Japan, Supachai will head to Cairo for meetings with ministers from African countries. "That is a crucial meeting to try to establish a certain understanding as to how we can get the round back on track with the support of the African members," Supachai said.
Supachai is trying to make progress ahead of a December 15 meeting in Geneva that will set the global trade club's agenda for next year. The end of 2004 is the deadline for concluding the so-called Doha Round of trade talks.
"If up to December 15 we have done enough work to put more flesh on to the bones of the proposals and see more convergence in the key areas and how we can sort out some of the issues, then... we should be able to put up a quite constructive road map, a clear work map for 2004 to push forward with the round," he said.Reuters:
