Summit meetings must produce results
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The complex agenda of the Asean Summit and related meetings in Bandar Seri Begawan this week cannot be separated from the agenda of the 9th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference, scheduled in Bali for December 3-6. This is the highest deci
So far the Doha round of global trade negotiations, which started in November 2001, is at an impasse. The Bali Ministerial Conference has to be well prepared, since there is a long way to go to reach a consensus, and the distance between positions on some crucial issues is still very large. Intensive diplomatic negotiations involving Asean countries are necessary. From the Asean perspective, the Bali outcomes should include agreements covering trade facilitation and elements of agriculture and development, as well as issues of interest to least developed countries.
The Asean Summit in Brunei can deliver a significant message for the Bali conference. The credibility of the WTO and its capacity to lead the world toward genuine liberalisation of trade are under great risk. Regional institutions can be instrumental in gradually forging the positive political will of WTO members, without which multilateral trade negotiations cannot lead to win-win situations.
Ioan Voicu
Bangkok
