Page 25 - DIVA_1_2016

INTERNATIONAL

The symbolic time- nomic and financial crisis of 2008, unless countries are well prepared to
resulting in lower global economic face the resulting adjustment changes
lines of negotiations:
growth, depressed agricultural and in their economic structure. Negotia-
other commodity prices, raising in- tors have constantly in mind how in-
In 2001, the Doha Development
equalities, unemployment and signif- ternational concessions in the frame-
Agenda (DDA) was launched. The
icantly slower expansion of interna- work of the WTO negotiations will
"development" dimension was in-
tional trade in recent years".' affect their national constituencies and
cluded for the first time in trade ne-
impact political responses nationally.
gotiations. This novelty was related
The tenth Ministerial Conference This explains, for example, India's
to the emotional impact of the 9/11
took place in a context of world eco- position in agriculture subsidies as its
terrorist attacks in the United States.
nomic instability. Inequalities within population of farmers amounts to over
The attacks had mobilized the in-
and among countries are widening. 600 million people,' who fought hard
ternational community and created
for the three pillars of agriculture,
a common goal: fighting poverty
namely domestic support, market ac-
through trade and trade negotiations. "Undeniably, cess and export competition.
Negotiations have continued since
2001. international trade
The present economic context re-
In 2008, the informal July Ministerial negotiations are mains gloomy. Industrialized econo-
mies, particularly European ones,
Meeting held in Geneva attempted to
move the talks forward. It collapsed.' complex and need are not growing enough to create
employment. Unemployment rates
The collapse was mostly due to dis-
agreement on the Special Safeguard time to unfold." remain high. The United States'
Mechanisms (SSM), and the G2's economic structure, although more
dynamic, remains reliant on lobbies
(the United States and China) disa-
The world political environment that impact government positions in
greement on industrial sector open-
is currently characterized by tense the WTO negotiations, and it is con-
ings, which went beyond the DDA.
international relations and shaky stantly looking for new market ac-
grounds for peace. Since 2001, when cess opportunities. The developing
In 2015, the tenth WTO Ministe-
the Doha Development Agenda was world continues to face challenges.
rial Conference took place in Nairobi
set as a sort of international commu- Africa's industry remains minuscule.
from 15-18 December. Some of the
nity "shout" for a better world, ter- African industries are not competi-
organizers and participants at this
rorism has expanded and penetrated. tive enough.
event were saying that Nairobi was
The tenth WTO Ministerial Confer-
chosen as a symbolic place, since
ence was to be part of that shout for The Nairobi talks continued over
this was intended to be the Confer-
a better world. Saturday 19 December as rift appear-
ence for Africa and Development.
Africa, the continent with the high- ing between developed and develop-
Undeniably, international trade ne-
est economic growth potential, is the ing countries threatened the nego-
gotiations are complex and need time
continent that faces the biggest social tiations. Amina Mohammed, Cabinet
to unfold. The political economy of
challenges, including how to lift peo- Secretary, Ministry of Kenyan For-
trade makes these negotiations mul-
ple out of poverty. eign Affairs, made major efforts to
ti-dimensional, as international trade
bridge gaps between developing and
agreements impact national constitu-
Context of the tenth WTO developed countries.
encies' welfare. Trade liberalization
Ministerial Conference
negotiated internationally, through
According to the final document of The Doha Development Agenda
more flexible rules, lower tariffs or
the WTO Ministerial Conference: (DDA) issues, such as Trade Distort-
less stringent barriers to the move-
"We note with concern the slow and ing Subsidies (TDS) to be phased
ment of professionals in the services
uneven recovery from the severe eco- out by 2020, cotton subsidies elimi-
sector, affects jobs and revenues na-
nation, public stock-holding, SSM
tionally.
and food aid, were key issues on the
1 For details on the reasons for the
collapse, see The New Geopolitis of Trade liberalization through interna- agenda. As in 2008, the G33 led by
Trade and the Collapse of the Mini- tional negotiations can result in na- India has been fighting to save the
SSM as a tool to protect markets in >>
Ministerial (July 2008) of the WTO: tional political conflicts and poverty,
Was it only about SSM? contained
in Global Governance Trade and the 3 Kenya Daily Nation, Saturday, 19
Crisis in Europe, 2014. 2 WT/MIN (15)/W/33/Rev.3. December 2015.
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT - DIVA 23