ICC wants government leaders to jumpstart Doha round
The International Chamber of Commerce wants government leaders to revive the World Trade Organization Doha round, which stalled during a September meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
“The political will seems to be there,” said ICC Secretary General Maria Livanos Cattaui in a statement. “WTO governments know that they have to restore momentum to the Doha round.”
The Paris-based organization would like the WTO members to:
* Reach agreement on how to deal with agricultural trade liberalization.
* Agree on how to deal with market access for non-agricultural products.
* Find a way to advance the so-called Singapore issues — competition, investment, trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement.
“Business wants final agreement as soon as possible, but that does not mean that governments should be obsessed with deadlines,” Cattaui said. “The final package is what matters, even if it takes somewhat longer than planned.”
The WTO General Council will hold a meeting in Geneva next week.