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International trade negotiations are focus of Delhi conference

11 August 2008

Ways to strengthen co-operation among world economies so that the poorest and most vulnerable countries can take part effectively in global trade will be examined

Senior Ministers, trade negotiators and other leading thinkers from across the Commonwealth gathered this evening in New Delhi, India, ahead of an international trade conference which is focusing on the eighth Millennium Development Goal - the need to 'develop a global partnership for development'.

At this conference, which takes place on 12 and 13 August, the challenges faced by least developed countries and small vulnerable economies in the international trading system will be given special emphasis.

Speaking on the eve of this high-level meeting, Edwin Laurent, Head of Trade at the Commonwealth Secretariat said that its timing in the wake of the World Trade Organization Doha round, which came to a standstill last month, was particularly opportune.

"Such a diverse gathering of those in the forefront of trade policy making and the formulation of opinion is certainly significant so soon after the recent stalling of the Doha talks," he observed.

"This is a time when the world is struggling to cope with simultaneous global crises of the escalation of food prices, commodity price instability and the credit crunch. In addition to this we are also dealing with the perennial challenge of addressing the demands from the poor and the marginalised for fairer and fuller participation in and benefit from the multilateral system."

Mr Laurent expressed confidence that with such notable decision makers present for the discussions in the coming days, new thinking and insights should emerge.

"I hope it will be forward looking, constituting a constructive beginning of an exchange of understanding and perspectives on what will be required for the WTO negotiations, when they resume, to take on board the legitimate concerns of all members and fully reflect the aspirations that motivated Ministers in Doha in 2001."

Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Kamal Nath, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith,  and  Isabel Guerrero, Country Director for the World Bank's India office, are among those taking part in discussions over the next two days.

The Commonwealth Secretariat has worked with CUTS - a leading civil society organisation, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the India Office of the World Bank and the Department of Commerce, Government of India in organising this conference.