Talks Collapse at WTO Meeting in Mexico
Mon Sep 15, 6:39 AM ET
story.news.yahoo.com
By NAOMI KOPPEL, Associated Press Writer
CANCUN, Mexico - Poor nations united and claimed a new voice
in global trade talks, even as their refusal to be pressured by rich nations
contributed to the collapse of a crucial World Trade Organization (news -
web sites) meeting.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto
Derbez called a halt Sunday to five days of
negotiations among the WTO's 146
members, arguing that an agreement was
impossible.
"I don't think we have to beat around the
bush. Cancun has failed," EU Trade
Commissioner Pascal Lamy said. "This is
not only a blow for the WTO, but a loss for
all of us."
The talks will now return to diplomats at the
WTO's Geneva headquarters, likely leaving
them with a massive, years-long headache.
There is virtually no chance countries will
meet a self-imposed deadline of completing
a binding treaty by the end of next year.
The WTO talks covered a wide range of
issues, including reducing farm subsidies
and tariffs. But the meeting collapsed
because members couldn't agree whether to
start a series of new negotiations on topics
like rules for foreign investment and
competition. The European Union (news -
web sites) wanted the issues, but several
developing countries refused.
Some wondered if Derbez called off
negotiations too quickly. British Trade
Minister Patricia Hewitt said she had
believed a deal was possible.
Derbez defended his decision, saying there
was no consensus.
WTO Director-General Supachai
Panitchpakdi said diplomats would meet in
Geneva in December to decide how to
proceed, adding: "We just cannot allow the
round to be derailed."
Hong Kong was formally confirmed as the location of the next ministerial
meeting, but it was unclear when that meeting would take place.
The Cancun meeting was marked by the emergence of a powerful
grouping of developing countries, including China, India and Brazil. They
stuck together despite differences in their own agendas to demand major
concessions from richer nations, including the slashing of farm
subsidies.
"Not only were we able to keep our unity, we were a permanent actor in
the negotiations," Brazilian (news - web sites) Foreign Minister Celso
Amorim said.
Rafidah Aziz, Malaysia's minister for international trade and investment,
said she was disappointed by rich nations' attitudes - not the collapse
of the meeting.
"Unless they listen to countries, unless they listen to the problems we
have in meeting some of the demands of the developed countries, this is
what will happen," she said.
Advocacy groups, who spent much of the meeting working with
developing nations to make sure their voices were heard, sang and
danced in the hallways of the conference center as the talks collapsed.
Many hugged one another.
"Our world is not for sale, my friend, just to keep you satisfied," they
sang to the tune of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love." "You say you'll
bring us health and wealth, well we know that you just lied."
Richer nations blamed intransigence by a few delegations - both rich
and poor - for the collapse of the meeting.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said some countries had been
unwilling from the start to negotiate or seek compromise.
"Too many people were spending too much time
pontificating, not negotiating," he said.
Canadian Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew agreed.
"I see an organization that is really living a culture
clash," he said of the WTO. "Last night, I didn't feel I
was in the WTO. I felt I was in some parliamentary
institution where people were far more interested in
rhetoric than substance."
South African Trade Minister Alec Erwin said his
country and the other developing nations who
banded together were simply defending their
positions more astutely than they had in the past.
"There is absolutely no possibility that we merely
pontificated or made political statements," he said.
"The hallmark of this new group is its technical
competence. I think this is a change in the quality
and nature of negotiations."
Several rich nations called for internal WTO reforms,
and Lamy said the organization "medieval."
International development aid group Oxfam said the
failure of the meeting was "a missed opportunity" but
hailed the rise of the developing nations.
"World trade negotiations will never be the same
again," spokesman Phil Bloomer said. "Rich
countries overplayed their hand and misjudged the
strength of feeling and unity of the developing world
who want to make trade fair."
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