Lamy bypasses general council
Upcoming WTO meeting of trade ministers commencing on July 21 will decide on the modalities in Nama and agriculture for the Doha Development Agenda.
By Sheila Mathrani, ET Bureau |
GENEVA: The upcoming WTO meeting of trade ministers starting on July 21 to decide on the modalities in Nama and agriculture for the Doha Development Agenda will be a tightly scheduled one.
WTO director general Pascal Lamy as the chairman of the trade negotiations committee (TNC) has laid down the agenda and the process to delegations.
The meeting will start with an informal meeting at 10 am. There will be Green Room meetings in the afternoons. The letter from Mr Lamy to the members states that all delegations are invited to the TNC meeting, which should focus on new developments, not for lengthy statements but to reach convergence on modalities.
This control of the ministerial meeting by Mr Lamy is of concern to many WTO members, particularly the developing countries, for it seems to bypass the most important organ of the WTO ���the General Council which is representative of the entire membership.
Mr Lamy makes no mention of the role of the General Council in the negotiations. However, it is reported that he told the Green Room meeting on July 10 that the General Council would take note of the modalities in agriculture and Nama as well as the reports on other issues.
Historically it is the General Council, of which its chairperson is the head, that is the most important organ of WTO. The ministerial meeting of the entire membership is the only other organ which can take decisions. The Doha Ministerial declaration of 2001 states that the overall conduct of negotiations shall be supervised by a TNC under the authority of the Council.
The TNC���s mandate is to supervise negotiations. Members are justified in worrying whether the TNC is usurping the role of the Council.
WTO director general Pascal Lamy as the chairman of the trade negotiations committee (TNC) has laid down the agenda and the process to delegations.
The meeting will start with an informal meeting at 10 am. There will be Green Room meetings in the afternoons. The letter from Mr Lamy to the members states that all delegations are invited to the TNC meeting, which should focus on new developments, not for lengthy statements but to reach convergence on modalities.
This control of the ministerial meeting by Mr Lamy is of concern to many WTO members, particularly the developing countries, for it seems to bypass the most important organ of the WTO ���the General Council which is representative of the entire membership.
Mr Lamy makes no mention of the role of the General Council in the negotiations. However, it is reported that he told the Green Room meeting on July 10 that the General Council would take note of the modalities in agriculture and Nama as well as the reports on other issues.
Historically it is the General Council, of which its chairperson is the head, that is the most important organ of WTO. The ministerial meeting of the entire membership is the only other organ which can take decisions. The Doha Ministerial declaration of 2001 states that the overall conduct of negotiations shall be supervised by a TNC under the authority of the Council.
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The TNC���s mandate is to supervise negotiations. Members are justified in worrying whether the TNC is usurping the role of the Council.
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