Current state of play with the Doha Agenda?
The Doha Agenda forms the basis for a global deal on trade, provided elements of the market access pillars concerning agriculture, services and industrial products are resolved—including the elimination of export subsidies by 2013 and the increased monitoring of export restrictions..
"Some claim that the Doha Agenda no longer reflects current realities, as it was developed in 1998. It was argued that if the Round is concluded, it will be successful in disciplining rich countries but leave emerging-economy countries with a lot of leeway.
Factors leading to the current situation include a mismatch of expectations, particularly regarding market access, and the fact that power has been realigned around new power blocs. Emerging-economy countries, for example, were not previously included in the international negotiations, which now include 153 members with very specific and differing interests. Categories of developed and developing countries have become more complex too. It was argued, for example, that granting the flexibility given to African countries to those such as China and Brazil is problematic. Questions of special and differential treatment also need consideration. Another factor is the lack of private sector commitment to the Doha Round.
There is a sense in many developing countries that they fared badly in the Uruguay Round, as developed countries failed to reduce their own agricultural subsidies but insisted developing ones open their markets.
If the Doha Round is not concluded in 2011, it will not, in the view of some participants, be concluded at all. It was argued that failure to conclude the Round will lead many developing and middle-player countries, particularly exporters such as Australia, to lose out. Access to stable, well-functioning global markets will enable many developing countries to improve their terms of trade, both by being able to export their products into less distorted and more open markets, and by increasing their income and power to purchase imports. Another view was that countries are busy addressing a multitude of other challenges besides Doha, and if the Round is not concluded, international trade will continue, if not increase, as it does at present.
It was argued that not all trade problems can be attributed to the WTO, which has been successful at binding reforms, as much trade liberalisation takes place outside it. There is no consensus on how to achieve further trade liberalisation.
The WTO’s remit concerns market efficiencies and not issues such as food security. It permits Least Developed Countries (LDCs) not to take certain steps, which raises the question of whether this has prevented them from furthering plans for regional integration and increasing their food security."