Governments face four-pronged convergence challenge in trade-Lamy Panel

[CUTS-TradeForum]

From: CUTS International

 

WTO Launches a Report on the Future of Trade, amidst come controversies

Geneva, April 24, 2013

 

The WTO Director General’s Panel on Defining the Future of Trade made public its conclusions today in a report titled “The Future of Trade: The Challenges of Convergence”. The launch event held at the WTO headquarters today in Geneva saw intense debate over some of the recommendations of the panel pertaining to issues like competition and investment rules. These have been controversial issues among some NGOs who thought other issues of specific interest to least developed countries should have been better upfronted in the report.

“Don’t insult the intelligence of least developing countries. They are not children in a kindergarten any longer and know that the issues they turned their back to fifteen years ago are worth considering again fifteen years later” said Pradeep Mehta, Secretary-General of the NGO CUTS International and member of the panel, in response to these concerns. He added that after many years of experience gained through intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations, they are far better equipped than before.

 

Read the full press release at: http://www.cuts-geneva.org/Press_Release-WTO_Launches_a_Report_on_the_Future_of_Trade_amidst_come_controversies.htm

 

 

 

 

From: CUTS International

 

Governments face four-pronged convergence challenge in trade—Lamy Panel

 

The Panel on Defining the Future of Trade convened by Director-General Pascal Lamy, on 24 April 2013, issued its report “The Future of Trade: The Challenges of Convergence”. “Regulating trade opening is only one of the many challenges facing a rapidly integrating world economy. But it is also one where we already have a system which has shown its resilience. Like all assets, it needs not just proper maintenance. It also needs investment in the future. We offer this report as a call to action and a contribution to further reflection – action and reflection that we believe are essential to address our current stasis and the real risk this carries of imposing significant economic, social and political costs across the globe,” the Panel said.

For details of the launch of report, please refer http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news13_e/dgpl_24apr13_e.htm

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