WTO meet kicks off amid protests

Be bold, open-minded and take risks, Lamy urges member countries.

The sixth World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting kicked off today amid large-scale protests by anti-globalisation protestors, even as WTO Director General Pascal Lamy urged member countries to be, "bold, open-minded and take risks".

Dozens of protestors entered the convention hall where the inaugural session was being held, despite tight security, forcing Lamy to raise his voice during his address in order to be heard. The protestors chanted slogans of "development yes, Doha no" and unveiled a banner saying, "no deal is better than a bad deal" in a number of languages.

Outside the venue, riot police had to use pepper spray to hold back some protestors. Earlier in the day, some protestors leapt into the Hong Kong harbour after a march by around 2,000 people.

In his address, Lamy warned the 149 member countries that "if the WTO is to maintain and increase its current activities, then you must take a further step and commit yourselves to a new investment in the improvement of its rules, through the success of the current negotiations."

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, in his address, said states must make progress in trouble-free trade talks this week or disappoint the millions who "yearn to lift themselves out of poverty".

In a speech delivered in his name, the UN chief said the time had passed for "brinkmanship". "The lack of major gains here would be a severe disappointment for poor people around the world yearning to lift themselves out of poverty," he said.

Later speaking to reporters, Lamy said he would regard the ministerial as a success if member countries managed to attain convergence on 55 to 66 per cent of the issues on the table. "We need courage, clarity and conviction in order to get another 'C' which is contribution from each member this week."

While pointing out that agriculture, industrial tariffs and a package for the 49 least developed countries were at the forefront of the negotiations, Lamy said the package for LDCs could not be a substitute for an ambitious development across the board for negotiations nor could it be the sole development outcome for the round.

In response to a question on the importance of food aid in the current negotiations, he said an agreement between the United States and the European Union on the issue of food aid was critical, as it was the key to arriving at an end date for a total elimination of export subsidies.