WTO clarifies deal negotiations have not failed
WTO Director general Roberto Azevêdo told the media that WTO has not been able to deliver, leading to speculations that the proposed global deals have failed.
November 27, 2013 / 20:28 IST
Formal negotiations on global deals related to Food security and public procurement ended in the Geneva based headquarters of World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday, without finalizing the text of the proposed agreements.
In fact WTO Director general Roberto Azevêdo told the media that WTO has not been able to deliver, leading to speculations that the proposed global deals have failed. WTO spokesperson Keith Rockwell today clarified to CNBC-TV 18’s Rituparna Bhuyan that negations on the agreements have not failed. Also read: WTO deadlock: Is Indias Food Security Act in jeopardy? Below are the excerpts of the e-mail interview:Q:"At this point in time we cannot tell the world that we've delivered." Does this mean that the negotiations on the proposed global deals on trade facilitation as well as food security and public procurement have failed?A: No, the Geneva process that Director-General Azevêdo has been conducting has brought us very close to agreement. Many of the negotiating documents are either clean or stable. This does not mean that they are agreed texts, but they are close. The problems have arisen because political factors have prevented further movements. This means that trying to unlock compromise in a setting with ambassadors and experts will not work. Director-General Azevêdo has made clear that the only way agreement can be reached is at the level of ministers. So he is working with them in the few days we have left to find the way forward. Q: "Holding negotiations in the short time we'll have in Bali would be simply impractical with over 100 ministers around the table. I don't believe that small negotiating meetings behind locked doors would do the trick either." Does this statement mean that there will be no negotiations on the proposed global deals trade facilitation and food security and public procurement at the Bali ministerial?A: This means that there will be no back room deals with a handful of ministers and no possibility of bringing 159 ministers into a large room where texts can be negotiated line by line as we have been doing in Geneva for the past several months. These are very complicated texts and no delegation believes that Bali should be a negotiating session.Q: "If we miss the opportunity we were given this time around, we will regret it a lot more, for the costs will be even greater. We have reached the end of the process in Geneva. We have come as far as we can. I am sure you will brief your authorities on the situation we face. Your ministers will have an opportunity in Bali to address it." Is there still an opportunity to revive talks in the time period between now and the Bali ministerial?A: Yes there is.Q: Several news reports originating from Geneva have quoted unnamed trade diplomats and negotiators who have blamed India for the failure in talks. Would you agree?A: To repeat, the talks have not failed. We are in crisis, to be sure, but there remains a chance that this could still come together. In any event, it's not for the WTO Secretariat to blame anyone. Finger pointing is counter-productive and makes finding compromise more difficult. There have been 159 countries involved in this process and we succeed or fail collectively.Q: What led to failure of the negotiations?A: Again, the negotiations have not failed. But we are stuck where we are for the same reason we always get stuck; politics.Q: What are the options that can be explored in the immediate future?A: The Director-General is working with Ministers round the clock to find the answer to this. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
