Hacked  By  r4dBlack

GENEVA: Bangladesh demanded a quick resolution of duty- and quota-free market access for least developed countries on the second day of the 7th ministerial summit of the World Trade Organisation.
Although fully preferential market access for all least developed countries had been pledged at the beginning of the ongoing Doha Round negotiations in 2001, it has not been resolved and it remains one of the major concerns for the poorest group of countries in the 153-member global trade forum.
Bangladesh’s commerce minister Faruk Khan, also the head of delegation in Geneva, also demanded during his plenary speech that when addressing the issue of disproportionately affected countries, least developed countries should be granted more preferences than developing countries.
He also demanded a quick resolution of services waiver leading to facilitation of smoother labour migration.
Similar demands and expectations were also reflected in the plenary speeches of Tanzania, the coordinator for least developed countries at the trade forum, and Cambodia, another least developed country in a similar predicament as Bangladesh over apparels export to the United States.
When asked if these demands would be reflected in the chair’s summary expected at the conclusion of the summit, Faruk Khan told New Age he was very hopeful about it.
‘We managed to arrive at a consensus regarding them within the group of least developed countries, the South Asian countries and a grand coalition of developing countries.’
Faruk said the director general of the trade forum, Pascal Lamy, had himself agreed if these demands would come up from the floor, they would naturally be reflected in the chair’s text.
‘And so far we have had some countries, including Cambodia and Tanzania, make those demands, which is important.’
He said, ‘Besides, we are not demanding anything unfair, nor are we asking for alms.’ Faruk pointed out Bangladesh was only demanding rightful trade preferences through which it could attain prosperity and develop.
‘And we are in a way iterating the core principles of the trade forum that pledges the poorest countries the most benefits. That is all we ask.’
But Keith Rockwell, the trade forum’s spokesperson, said he had not heard any of the countries mention anything related to the provisions of disproportionately affected countries, which has become a major concern for Bangladesh.
‘I know this is a very important issue for Bangladesh and is raised at different negotiating forums within the WTO regularly. But I have not heard this mentioned here yet.’
According to delegate members, this issue would be taken up at the second working session of the second day which would be looking into the review of the Doha Round negotiations.
The commerce minister said Tanzania, as the coordinator of the poorest group of countries, would now have to take up the issue forcefully to actually get it into the summary.