APEC ministers commit to new round of global talks
APEC ministers commit to new round of global talks
DARWIN, Australia (AFP): Asia-Pacific trade ministers on Tuesday threw their weight behind the launch of a new round of global trade talks, admitting the Seattle agenda was overloaded and bound to fail.
"The APEC ministers have agreed to reaffirm their support for the leaders statement that came out of Auckland last year towards the launch of a broad-based round of multilateral negotiations as soon as possible," said Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile, who is chairing a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers here.
Some of APEC's 21-members remained concerned that there was not a repeat of Seattle, where negotiations to launch a new round crumbled last December amid violent anti-globalization street protests.
But Vaile said the next WTO attempt to launch a trade round would be more carefully planned.
"With the benefit of hindsight it wasn't the protests or the process that caused Seattle to fail so much as an overloaded agenda," he said.
"We are collectively responsible for that, some more than others. We were trying to conduct negotiations before we even laughed the round."
He refused to say what should be excluded from a new agenda but said it was broadly recognized there was "a lack preparedness in terms of the text, the issues and expectations of the issues in Seattle."
At the meeting of APEC leaders in Auckland last year, a four- point plan was agreed on as the basis for a new round of talks.
It specified comprehensive market access negotiations on industrial tariffs in addition to already mandated negotiations on services and agriculture.
The new round should also lead to improvements in market access, particularly for developing economies, and provide scope to review and strengthen rules.
The talks should be concluded within three years and negotiations should seek the abolition of agricultural export subsidies and unjustifiable export barriers, the leaders' statement said.
Ministers in Darwin did not specify a timetable, but WTO Director-General Mike Moore downplayed expectations that it would be this year.
"There has been some movement, on implementation (of Uruguay round commitments) for example, but there are still lines of deep disagreement," he said here, before addressing a ministerial retreat.
He was referring to core labor standards, the environment, competition and investment.
"But we should not see disagreement as failure. It's simply countries fighting for their national interests. I think there is a modest chance this year."