UN experts request negotiators to deliver on Doha commitments

United Nations human rights experts have called on governments across the world and especially rich countries, to deliver on the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and not back out of prior commitments, ahead of the World Trade Organizations 10 th ministerial conference in Nairobi starting 15 th December.

"There is no justification for defaulting on the Doha Round commitments, as such action would have a detrimental impact on human rights in many countries," the experts observed. They deplored indications that certain developed countries will move for the premature ending of the Doha Round at the upcoming WTO Conference.

Developed countries have been pushing for the discontinuation of DDA after no major progress in last 14 years. India has recently led the developing and Least Developed Countries bloc in protesting the move and has termed the DDA as the bedrock of all negotiations.

DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

• Doha Round of negotiation officially launched at 4th WT0 Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001
  
   
• Aims to achieve major reform in international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules. The work programme covers about 20 areas of trad

Subjects covered include

• Agriculture (eliminating export subsidies, reducing distorting domestic support)
   
• Non-agricultural market access (NAMA) (lowering tariffs on raw materials, non-tariff barriers, in particular on products of export interest to developing countries)
   
• Services (improving market access)
   
• Trade facilitation (easing of complications in trade laws)