Cautioning that the spirit of multi-lateralism could be in jeopardy if member countries fail to conclude negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda, the World Trade Organisation director general Supachai Panitchpakdi urged India to come forward with 'bold proposals' on issues of market access.
"If the current round (of negotiations) fail, we all will lose, not only in terms of more market access but also in terms of multilateral process," he said while addressing the CII Partnership Summit 2003 in Hyderabad.
Panitchpakdi said the forthcoming Mexico round of trade talks could be a 'watershed', but expressed concern over 'uneven progress' in negotiations on the Doha Work Programme covering agriculture, services, market access for non-agricultural goods, WTO rules and regional trade agreements.
He was speaking at a session on 'Build up: The road to Mexico', chaired by the CMD of Bajaj Auto Limited Rahul Bajaj.
Seeking India's 'constructive engagement and leadership' to help in successful conclusion of the current round of negotiations, the WTO director general wanted the member nations to adopt 'flexible approach' as they have stakes in building a stronger multilateral trading system and a more open world economy.
Supporting the global trading system, Panitchpakdi said: "Without multilateralism, we will revert to unilateral undertakings, which cannot provide for balance of interests nor can it take care of the interests of the small and poor nations."
Acknowledging India's role as a 'central and influential player' in the multilateral trading system, he said the country had successfully fought for placing development issues at the heart of Doha development agenda.
"I hope that there is an increasing perception that by engaging positively in trade negotiations, India is not selling out but buying into a global economy in which it has the opportunity to reap considerable benefits," he said.
Pointing out that market access issues would be the main focus of attention over the next six months in the run-up to the Mexico round, Panitchpakdi spoke of the members' inability to meet deadlines related to special and differential treatment to developing countries and access to essential medicines for poor countries lacking capacity to manufacture such drugs themselves.
"Failure to meet these deadlines has been quite disappointing. Nonetheless, I am hopeful a solution can be found in the early part of this year," the WTO director general said.
He said there were more such deadlines to be met in the negotiations on agriculture, services and market access for non-agricultural products. "Whether we meet these deadlines and how we do it will define the rest of the process."
"As a highly successful exporter particularly of business services, I know India has a lot at stake in these negotiations. I hope India will also be looking at market access opportunities in other developing countries," Panitchpakdi said.
Participating in the session, Oman's Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan suggested that developing countries should form a core group to put across their positions in the next round of talks.
He wanted both the developed and developing countries to show greater flexibility in reconciling their differences and helping in successful conclusion of Doha Development Agenda.
The Union Commerce secretary Dipak Chatterjee dwelt at length on the difficulties being faced by developing nations in the current negotiations and expressed skepticism about the successful outcome of the Mexico round since the developed world was trying to re-open the entire Doha Declaration instead of consolidating what had been achieved at Doha.
He refuted western media reports that India and Brazil were trying to influence African countries to block the TRIPS (Trade-Related Property Rights) agreement.
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