Many developing countries urged the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference for urgent action on the Doha Round. This was started in 2001 with the intention of helping developing countries out of poverty by making an agreement that cuts agricultural subsidies and tariffs on industrial goods. The amount of these is still under debate, with many of the largest trading blocks undecided on how much each of these should be. Many foreign ministers did not name the countries that were impeding on the conclusion of the Doha Round, while others blatantly named the United States and Europe. So far the negotiations have been set back to 2010. The recent economic crisis highlights the importance of bilateral trade agreements with developmental goals and rules for the game. Over 100 developing nations were behind the urgent cry to have this come to a conclusion.
-Sara Frodge
Source: AFP
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