Commonwealth hosts meeting on Doha ahead of G20 Summit

Envoys from Commonwealth countries, trade experts and policy-makers will meet at Elventham Hotel in Hampshire, outside London, from 30 March to 1 April 2009 to map out ways on how small states and least developed countries (LDCs) can successfully re-engage in the Doha trade round when the talks resume.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is bringing together these officials to review the current progress of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations and assess the implications for vulnerable economies, many of which belong to the Commonwealth. The officials intend to formulate and recommend concrete proposals, measures and strategies for securing beneficial outcomes from the Round.

“It is vitally important that global trade is revitalised and G20 leaders meeting in London are expected to call for the resumption of trade talks. This though should be on terms that contribute to economic development, particularly of small states and LDCs,” said Edwin Laurent, Head of the Secretariat’s International Trade and Regional Co-operation Section.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has emphasised that “the G20 must finally find a way ahead to advance free and fair trade, as the assured means of restoring global prosperity.”

In a message ahead of the G20 meeting, Mr Sharma said: “Many of those excluded from the Summit are the most dependent on trade, and it is they who will be the victims of an incipient and alarming trend towards a protectionism which – since the G20 met in Washington last November – has seen 17 of its members introduce measures to keep out foreign trade. If the G20 is to match its rhetoric, its actions should give greater reason for optimism.”

On 2 April 2009, world leaders from the G20 countries – representing over 85 per cent of the world’s output – will meet in London. They will meet against the backdrop of the worst international banking crisis in generations.

At the Summit, countries will come together to enhance global co-ordination in order to help restore global economic growth. The world has been trying to reach a new deal to expand trade since the Doha Development Agenda was launched with great fanfare in the Qatari capital in November 2001.

But after almost seven years of seemingly fruitless haggling, progress has been very slow. The Round collapsed in July last year following disagreement principally over the extent of cuts to farm subsidies.

“The majority of our member states depend on trade for the livelihoods of millions of their populations, so achieving real progress on trade would be good news to everyone,” said Mr Laurent.

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