Washington, DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today in advance of next week’s World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting on the Doha Development Round, sent letters to the Ambassadors of the key advanced developing nations, urging each country to constructively contribute to a successful outcome to the negotiations. As the letter points out, an estimated 40 Trade Ministers of WTO member countries will gather in Geneva next week to try to achieve progress in the areas of agriculture, non-agricultural market access (NAMA) and services.
“Unless substantial progress is made next week, we fear that the Doha Round will flounder for the foreseeable future,” wrote NFTC President Bill Reinsch in letters to the Ambassadors of Brazil, China, India, Malaysia and South Africa.
“If, however, countries step up to the challenges and hard choices necessary to achieve breakthroughs on the modalities relating to agriculture and NAMA as well as real commitments on services, there is an opportunity for substantial progress towards concluding negotiations in 2008 and completing the Round in 2009. Your country is critical to a successful outcome in Geneva next week,” he continued.
“As an advanced developing country, your government should see the tremendous opportunities presented by a successful Round for future economic growth… The potential benefits are real and significant, and it would be a shame to lose this opportunity,” Reinsch concluded.
For full copies of the letters, please click here.
