The Hindu Business Line : India `disappointed' with draft WTO framework

INDIA today voiced its "disappointment" over the draft framework for negotiations at the WTO, particularly the one in respect of agriculture, describing it as not providing "the required balance, fairness or equity between the provisions for the developed countries and those of developing countries."

In a statement issued here, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, "much work will have to be done in making the draft text acceptable."

It said India found that there is greater level of specificity on matters of interest to the developed countries and a greater level of generality in respect of the special and differential treatment components of the developing countries.

Pointing out the lack of appreciation of developing countries' sensitivities in agriculture, the Ministry said this is particularly true of those developing countries where subsistence agriculture prevails and where the rural population is dependent on agriculture for their food and livelihood security.

It said the Government hoped that these would be suitably addressed in the next few days during the negotiations if there were to be a consensus on the agriculture framework.

The Government said that it would be working with the G-20 on agriculture and jointly put forward its concerns in the ongoing discussion at Geneva.

On other areas of NAMA (Non Agricultural Market Access), Singapore issues and on implementation issues as well special and differential treatment, it said India is ready to work with other members of WTO in order to arrive at a consensus.

The draft framework circulated by the WTO for the consideration of the 148 member countries is a first text and underlines the explicit recognition that this would be only a basis for future negotiations in view of the fact that serious divergences in positions of the WTO members have emerged as reflected in the current status of negotiations.

The draft is being negotiated in Geneva starting July 19 at the Heads of Delegation meeting where India's envoy to the WTO Mr K.M. Chandrashekhar has been taking part with senior officials of the trade policy division of the Ministry of Commerce.

An amended version of the draft would be produced after taking on board the responses of WTO members, which would then be considered by the General Council of the WTO next week.

It might be noted that the WTO General Council put forward last week a Draft Decision (i.e., draft framework for negotiations in the WTO in various sectors) for the consideration of the WTO members with a view to making progress on the Doha Work Programme.

The Doha programme was stalled after the collapse of the Cancun Ministerial meeting of the WTO in September 2003 in Mexico.

The draft focuses on negotiation modalities in the realm of market access in agricultural products, non-agricultural products and services; Singapore issues and developmental and implementation issues, without implying that the other areas of the Doha Work Programme are relegated to a lower priority.

The official statement said India felt that the dialogue after the stalled Cancun meeting thus far has been constructive, even as the shape of the agreed package is as yet not visible.