Describing the collapse of the Doha Round of talks as a great disappointment, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma has sought resumption of the round as early as possible so that advances already made over seven years are not lost.
"We want to see an early harvest of progress already made...Meeting the deadline for the end of EU agricultural subsidies...The US honour its commitment to end cotton export subsidies...Least developed countries having improved access in exporting into the markets of developed countries," he said in a statement last night.
He added, the stalling of the negotiations also has implications on the prospects of poorer countries to achieve the millennium development goals by 2015. Developed economies have to remember that they have committed to help poorer developing countries meet the MDGs.
A world trade deal at this stage would have helped stimulate the sluggish global markets, currently gripped by financial and economic crisis, but rich and developing nations could not agree on the level of subsidy cuts.
"...We also emphasise that a fair, equitable and development-oriented outcome requires an inclusive negotiating process which gives genuine voice to all, and especially to smaller and poorer countries. The world's collective response to its collective challenge demands nothing less," he said.
