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US fends off LDC bid for movement of manpower

UNB, Dhaka
The developed countries have not shown interest in the LDCs' agenda at the Cancun WTO ministerial.
Hopes of Bangladesh, the co-ordinator for world's 49 least developed countries, and the other LDCs for allowing temporary movements of semi-skilled personnel almost faded out as the United States took a firm stand against the agenda, according to a message received here yesterday.
Bangladesh would give a second thought to the multilateral trade regime, after getting the cold shoulder from the big players to its agenda at the WTO ministerial.
A great deal of frustration crept in as soon as the negotiators at the Cancun meet crossed the mid-point of the 5-day parley on world trade. The negotiation "facilitators" wrapped up their first round of consultations and began drafting a new ministerial declaration.
"There is no discernible breakthrough yet," Bangladesh delegation leader Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told an evaluation symposium on the sidelines of the Cancun trade summit on Friday, the third day of the meet.
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the symposium titled "Post Doha Marginalisation of LDC Concerns" with its Executive Director Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya in the chair.
The Geneva-based International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) was the co-sponsor of the parallel trade talks.
Khosru apprised the meeting that all in the poor-country ship Dhaka is steering were trying to push their agenda in the areas of market access, special and differential treatment and capacity-building support from the rich nations.
Sharing his thoughts on the progress, he said as of now, a lot of discussions took place on agricultural market access and the Singapore issues, but the WTO members stood wide apart in their opinions.
"These issues are staring at each other and everyone is waiting who will blink first," said the minister, who is also the vice-chairman of the Ministerial Meet.
He said the US came out very strongly against the issue of movement of natural persons although the draft declaration text of the ministerial takes into consideration the LDCs' interests.
The civil-society initiatives would be critically important in putting pressure on the developed countries in the context of current negotiations to uphold LDC concerns and interests, the minister told his audience.
Addressing the inaugural session of the daylong symposium, alternative leader of the Bangladesh delegation commerce secretary Suhel Ahmed vented his frustration on the progress of the WTO ministerial.
He observed that if the demands of the LDCs were not met, they should take a fresh look at the multilateral trading regime after the ministerial meeting is over.
The CPD is being represented by a three-member civil-society delegation in the Cancun assembly of trade ministers, officials and other stakeholders from across the world. The policy thinktank is organising various events aimed at advancing LDC interests in the context of the ongoing ministerial discussions in the Mexican city.
The inaugural session was followed by four working sessions on "Market Access and Meaningful Integration of LDCs in Multilateral Trading Regime", "GATTS Negotiations; Some Gains But Long Way to Go", S &D and Technical Assistance" and "WTO Accession".
Experts from the CPD, North South Institute, Ottawa and leading experts of Nepal and India presented papers.
A number of government delegations from developing and least-developed countries, representatives from leading non-governmental organisations, advocacy groups, experts, and newsmen were present at the symposium.