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Press
Release..............................
UNESCAP News Services
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17 June 2003
Press Release: G/07/2003
More Asia-Pacific countries needed in WTO
Bangkok (UN Information Services) -- Regional
business leaders and senior government officials called on the
World Trade Organization (WTO)
to ease its membership demands to allow more developing countries
to accede into the group at a United Nations trade dialogue
in Bangkok last week.
The issue was the focus of discussions at the
Regional Seminar on Facilitating the Accession of UNESCAP Members
to WTO though Regional Cooperation (12 - 13 June), organized
by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the World Trade Organization (WTO)
and the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Guests, including regional vice-ministers, representatives
from industry associations and chambers of commerce and senior
UN staff, pointed to the WTO's complicated membership process
for the low level of representation that developing countries
have in the organization.
" Trade is an ancient activity for the UNESCAP
region," said Mr. Kim Hak-Su, the Executive Secretary of
UNESCAP. "Countries in the region have always been dynamic
traders...Therefore, a question that is foremost in our mind
...is why almost half of our members continue to remain excluded
from the premier club of world trade - the WTO. Of even more
concern is why no LDC (Least Developed Country) and no Pacific
island country has acceded to WTO."
Out of the 146
WTO members, only 24 are ESCAP member countries from the
Asia-Pacific. At the same time, the region accounts for the
largest share of countries seeking WTO membership.
The problem, according to Mr. Kim, lies with both
the membership process and the level of information that developing
countries have about the WTO. On the part of developing countries,
there is little understanding of the commitments involved with
becoming a WTO member, especially the costs associated with
the domestic legislative and institutional changes required
under the organization.
At the same time, the domestic reforms expected
of new WTO members often goes beyond the commitments made by
existing members. Mr. Kim said it is necessary to reform the
process so that developing countries can approach WTO membership
from a level playing field with first world countries.
" There is a need for greater sensitivity
to the internal adjustment shocks that an applicant country
may confront when complying with the new rules in the absence
of reasonable transition concessions. It is detrimental to vulnerable
developing countries to have to draw up a time schedule that
puts their social and institutional capability under extreme
pressure," he said.
" All countries had long, difficult and in
some cases dramatic experiences (in seeking membership to the
WTO)," said Mr. Jose-Antonio Buencamina, the Special Trade
Representative from the Philippines." There (is) a need
to continue to promote on a regional cooperative basis the sharing
of these experiences, and views on how the accession process
could be simplified and made more relevant to the development
needs of these countries."
The Regional Seminar on Facilitating the Accession
of UNESCAP
Members to WTO through Regional Cooperation was a preparatory
meeting ahead of the 5th
Ministerial Conference to be held in Cancún, Mexico in
September. It was organized to allow regional countries
that have acceded to the WTO to share their experiences with
the countries currently seeking membership.
The seminar also aimed to give regional countries
the tools to participate more effectively in WTO trade negotiations,
which in the past have been accused of favoring big trading
nations.
" The objective," said Mr. Kim, "is
to build negotiating capacity that will give our members the
tools to negotiate and conclude agreements that will strengthen
their participation in the multilateral trading system.
"UNESCAP is committed to these issues on
the long term because I am convinced that despite all the difficulties
and harsh realities, a rules-based multilateral trading system
represents developing countries' best hope of keeping economies
open and trading with each other - and when countries cooperate
on trade matters they are more likely to have peaceful relation,"
he said.
The September trade talks in Mexico are especially
important for the export-oriented Asia-Pacific region as it
prepares for a predicted downturn in economic activity. Trade
deals secured at the meeting will help ESCAP countries minimize
the effects of the downturn.
For more information, please contact: United Nations
Information Services, UNESCAP, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern
Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, Tel: (66) 02 288 1864-9,
Fax: (66) 02 288 1052, E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org
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