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Dhaka went to Cancun with wrong agenda

Talks failure to have little impact on Bangladesh, observe economists

Star Report
The cillapse of just-concluded WTO talks :in Cancun will have little impact on Bangladesh, since it went to thei meet with wrong agenda, economists and bureaucrats said,
By taking up wrong issues, Bangladesh failed to highlight its own interest, which was gaining market access with simplified rules of origin, they said.
Movement of natural persons was not the right agenda for Bangladesh to pursue in the changed global scenario, while farm subsidy was basically a concern for the African nations.
But, the economists said, Bangladesh being the coordinator of the least developed countries (LDCs) took a strong position on such issues.
Zaed Bakht of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies said Bangladesh's role as the coordinator of LDCs did not work at all in Cancun.
Bangladesh could not even follow up on Dhaka Declaration. On the other hand, the bloc of ACP (Africa, Caribbean, and the Pacific countries) held series of meetings on their issues, farm subsidy in particular. The Dhaka Declaration was adopted on a 'give-and-take' basis but the issue of market access did not figure prominently although it is the prime concern for Bangladesh.
Agricultural subsidy was not the issue of Bangladesh. If subsidy in agriculture is reduced or withdrawn, Bangladesh will suffer at the initial stage since it is a food-deficit country, Bakhtsaid.
"So, Bangladesh should not have taken a strong position on this issue. The US and EU will be forced to reduce farm subsidy at one stage and India, Brazil, China and African countries will be benefited," he said.
Bakht said it has been said that movement of natural persons was included in the revised Cancun declaration, which should not be overplayed. "When rich countries are not giving market access to products of the LDCs, how can we expect they would allow our semi-skilled manpower?" he asked.
"It is unthinkable that the US will allow free movement of labour from any Muslim country after the September 11."
Sazzad Zahir, former secretary of Bangladesh Economic Association, said the failure at the Cancun conference was expected. "The mini-ministerial meet at Montreal gave signal ofwhat was to come in Cancun. But people were given a wrong impression."
The interest of the developing countries like India, Brazil, China was not at par with the interest of the LDCs. Besides, the LDCs bloc was divided. "When we face difficulty in defining our interest at the country-level, it is very difficult to define the interest of the LDCs as a whole,"he said.
Referring to Bangladesh's being the LDCs coordinator, Zahir said: 'We have to assess now whether we have adequate intellectual and administrative resources to engage ourselves in so many issues."
Former Secretary and Permanent
Representative to the United Nations in Geneva M Anwar Hashim said Cancun is not the end of the road. The setback of Cancun could be reversed once both developed and poor nations work together to build a better future, he noted.
He however said the global trading system should be based on justice, equity and consensus. Cancun should be a lesson for future multilateral trading arrangement.
"All the members of the World Trade Organisation should start cooperate with instead of confronting each other. A better understanding between rich and poor countries could only yield a positive new world order," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
"Let us be cautiously optimistic that an agreement will be signed in the nearfuture," he hoped.