Reuters / By Andrea Hopkins
CANBERRA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - World Trade Organisation (WTO) chief Mike Moore lashed out at anti-free trade protesters on Monday, saying that a new global trade round was a moral imperative in the face of an impending U.S. slowdown.
"The people that stand outside and say they work in the interests of the poorest people... they make me want to vomit. Because the poorest people on our planet, they are the ones that need us the most," Moore said in the Australian capital to promote the need for a new WTO round.
The small but vocal group of about 30 protesters shouted and pounded on the shuttered windows of the National Press Club, at times nearly drowning out his speech, chanting "Michael Moore kills the poor." They also blocked the driveway to prevent Moore's car from exiting.
Trade ministers from the WTO's 140 members countries will meet in Qatar in November in a renewed attempt to launch a global trade round after the failure of talks in Seattle in late 1999.
Massive anti-globalisation protests marked the Seattle talks, which fell apart as the United States and European Union battled over farm subsidies and developing countries fought calls by the West to put minimum labour standards on the agenda.
Moore said that while dialogue with globalisation opponents was important and politicians needed to listen to their people, the success of the new talks was paramount.
"Harry Truman did not run opinion polling into the Marshall Plan. There are things that ought to be done," he said, equating the new round with the U.S. commitment to rebuild Europe's crumbled economy following World War II.
U.S. SLOWDOWN: IMPETUS OR THREAT?
Moore said a U.S. economic slowdown has the potential to spur trade talks, helping to move the agenda forward as global leaders look for lower trade barriers to compensate for slowing demand.
But he warned a slowdown could also threaten free trade.
"We've had a few sunny years but we haven't been able to fix the roof. A bit of drizzle might actually focus the attention," Moore told his audience of reporters, diplomats, politicians and business people.
"But there is another truth: that we want to move before the drizzle soaks the place. Because protectionist measures, and protectionist instincts start to arise after a period of time, and when they do things get pretty nasty pretty quick."
Moore said major obstacles to talks remained agriculture and labour issues, with the United States, European Union and agricultural exporters deadlocked over farm subsidies, and developing nations are firmly opposed to the inclusion of labour standards in the negotiations.
But the proliferation of regional and bilateral trade pacts also threatened the global round, Moore said, as governments tired of the WTO wrangle and resorted to easier deals.
"I would never criticise any political personality for (pursuing bilateral deals), because I'd do it myself... it's disappointing, though," Moore, a former New Zealand prime minister, said.
"I will just argue that as much time and space should be spent on the multilateral road as bilateral or regional road."
Australia said in November it would pursue a bilateral trade agreement with Singapore, with the aim of signing a free trade pact within a year, and is also keen to explore a bilateral deal with the United States.
But it is massive regional trade agreements, such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) being pursued by North, South and Central American nations that threaten to become major distractions from the global trade negotiations.:
