New WTO services proposal sought<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Geneva<\/p>\n
Five South East Asian nations have made an alternative
\nproposal for global trade talks on liberalizing services in the
\nrun-up to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) conference in Hong
\nKong, according to a text released on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The informal draft submitted by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
\nthe Philippines and Thailand crosses out large parts of the top
\nnegotiator's report on services included by WTO Director General
\nPascal Lamy in his text for Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
The Asian text notably changes the language in areas where
\ndeveloping nations feared wealthy countries with strong service
\nsuppliers were trying to lock poor nations into responding to
\nrequests for opening.<\/p>\n
Lamy's overall text coverning the main areas of the Doha Round
\n-- agriculture, industrial goods and services -- is meant to
\nserve as a basis for the deadlocked talks in Hong Kong and he has
\nmade it clear it is open to substantial change.<\/p>\n
Top trading powers such as the European Union and the United
\nStates want greater access to services and industrial markets in
\nother nations in return for concessions on agriculture in the
\nDoha Round.<\/p>\n
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has complained about a
\nlack of progress on services, which covers areas such as finance,
\ncomputing, postal services, telecoms, health, water supply and
\ntemporary labor.<\/p>\n
A group of non governmental organizations and trade unions
\nwrote to Lamy to complain that the negotiating process in the
\nrun-up to Hong Kong is \"undemocratic\".<\/p>\n
The groups, including South Center, Public Services
\nInternational and the Institute for Agricultural and Trade
\nPolicy, said objections and proposals by developing countries,
\nnotably in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, in recent months had
\nbeen ignored in the draft text on services.<\/p>\n
\"We're vigilant about what's happening because we do not
\nbelieve a process like this will lead to a fair agreement,\"
\nShefali Sharma of IATP told journalists on Wednesday.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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