Cairns Group wants progress on Doha Round

After the Cairns Group met with the WTO in Canada last week, Ambassador Krisda Piampon-gsant, Thailand's permanent representative to the WTO, said they had come up with four possible solutions: to continue the Doha Round; put it off for a few years; accept the Single Undertaking Agreement, under which every item of negotiation is part of a whole and indivisible package and cannot be agreed upon separately; or admit that the talks have failed.

Krisda said the Cairns Group members needed some action on the Doha Round so they can ensure economic growth amid concerns about the global economy slowing down. He explained that the US appeared to be accepting that the Doha Round has reached a dead-end, while the European Union is pushing for further negotiation, particularly on issues meant to benefit least-developed nations.

The marathon Doha Round started eight years ago to resolve differences over the liberalisation of the agricultural market, particularly the reduction of import tariffs by developed nations. Developed nations need to cut tariffs by 60 to 80 per cent and remove them altogether by 2013 - a move that would offer more opportunities to less-developed countries.

At the meeting, the Cairns Group also discussed the issue of food security as the global population is expected to hit 9 billion in 2050. They said member states should urgently seek ways to increase the supply of agricultural products, especially grains and livestock. The meeting agreed to promote innovative developments to increase production and cut down on trade barriers, he said.

The 153 WTO members are expected to finalise their agreement in Geneva in December.

Srirat Rastapana, director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said that Thailand and Asean countries had a similar agreement to support the growth of developing and least-developed nations. They also wanted agricultural subsidies to be reduced, import quotas eliminated and more trade be facilitated.