BD for firm commitment, actions to forward LDCs\' trade interests

Nairobi, Dec 16: Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has asked the developed and developing countries to make 'firm commitment' for ensuring the trade interests of the least developed countries (LDCs) including Bangladesh under the framework of World Trade Organisation (WTO). "We must get our rules and decisions so that LDCs can get commercially meaningful market access in trade of their goods and services," he said.

"Expressing intention won't help us any longer, we want firm commitment," the Bangladesh's commerce minister asserted while delivering his speech in the first plenary session of the 10th ministerial conference of the WTO in the Kenyan capital on Wednesday. Amina Mohmed, chairperson of the conference and Kenya's cabinet secretary on trade and foreign affairs, presided over the session. The 4-day conference was ianugurated on Tuesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

The Bangladesh's minister, who is acting as coordinator of LDC group in WTO, stressed on the concerns of the least developed countries that have only 1.24 per cent share in the global trade. He also expressed apprehension on current wave of mega regional trade blocs like Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) which contained 'WTO Plus' obligations and intended to grossly discriminate many of the LDCs.

"As regional trading blocs led by major trading partners proliferate, LDCs risk marginalisation in their markets," Tofail said without directly mentioning any name of such blocs. ‘Those regional blocs need to ensure that export-interest of LDCs in their markets are not affected.’ He linked the importance of continuation of negotiation on Doha Development Agenda (DDA) with implementations of the decisions taken in the last 14 years.  

"Our officials need to transform those decisions to concrete actions for conclusion of DDA," he said.

Professor Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a Dhaka-based civil society think-tank, found the deliberation 'broad-based' which widely capture concerns of the LDCs as well as current tension of the conference.

"Developed countries, headed by the US, are pressing to conclude Doha round in Nairobi conference keeping many tasks unfinished," Prof Mustafizur Rahman told the FE after the plenary session. "This will not be beneficial for us."

Doha round negotiation started in 2001 in a bid to liberalise agriculture, merchandise and service trade under a set of global trade rules. Under the negotiation process, developed and developing countries are subject to make commitment on reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers to a certain extent to open markets for all.

Though LDCs are not obliged to make any commitment under the Doha negotiation, without completion of negation, they will get little of their required benefits. That's why the Bangladesh commerce minister said: "LDCs value WTO’s contribution in advancing the multilateral trading system. Balanced rules and trade liberalisation are keys, especially in securing WTO’s preeminent role in global trade and ensuring equitable benefit to all its member, especially the LDCs."

Tofail also observed that the declaration on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement and Public Health, Hong Kong Ministerial decision on duty-free quota-free (DFQF) market access for LDCs, and Decision on LDC services waiver "are instrumental in achieving the development objectives we set in Doha".

Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Minister of State for Trade, who delivered her speech immediately after the speech of Tofail Ahmed, supported 'a strong LDC package for adoption at this Ministerial'.

"But there is much more to be done to facilitate full integration of LDCs into world trade, said Sitharaman. She said India was the first developing country to extend duty-free quota-free access to all LDCs in line with the Hong Kong ministerial mandate. (e-mail: [email protected])


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