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Talks at Cancun ministerial meeting crucial to DDA
The upcoming ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in this seaside resort city will be another milestone talks on the way to clinching the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), a new WTO trade liberalization deal by January 2005.
During the five-day talks on Sept. 10-14, agriculture and trade ministers of the 146-member WTO are to discuss ways of narrowing differences so that the current Doha Round of multilateral global trade talks, launched in November 2001, can be completed on schedule on Jan. 1, 2005, when the WTO members, rich or poor, would open their borders for the exchange of goods and services.
Progress on the DDA remains patchy due to sharp disagreements among member economies.
The current round of talks covers a wide range of issues, including the implementation of the agreement reached in the eight-year-long Uruguay round, subsidies for agricultural exports, service trade, mechanism for settling trade disputes, trade-related intellectual property, combat against unfair trade practices and access to non-agricultural products markets.
Among the key issues, agricultural subsidies and tariffs imposed by developed countries are the most crucial but contentious in the global trade negotiations.
Each year, developed countries give 300 billion US dollars in subsidies to their farmers, whose products enter in developing countries at lower prices, taking their toll on local peasants.
Developing countries have warned that an agreement on tariff reduction will be impossible if subsidies in the rich countries continue.
The 5th WTO ministerial meeting, a midpoint in the three-year negotiations, is seen as key to the successful conclusion of the current trade talks. But officials warn that there may be little significant headway at the meeting if the parties concerned make no substantial concessions in key areas.
Mexican ambassador to WTO, Eduardo Perez, said general framework and timetable for more talks would be arranged, but nothing else.
Chinese Minister of Commerce Lu Fuyuan said that for more consensus in the new round of negotiations, it is necessary for the rich economies to listen to the opinions and proposals of the developing ones.
He also urged the industrialized members to make concessions and pay more attention to the interests of the developing economies to really achieve the goals of the
DDA.
The WTO general director, Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi, said the DDA is faced with a "now or never" scenario. If the WTO members cannot push forward the multilateral trade talks and the development of the world economy, there will be more uncertainties, he warned.
Calling on WTO member economies to show flexibility so as to clinch accords at the Cancun meeting, the official said trade links among nations are a good way to prevent wars and bring benefits for everyone.
Anti-globalization activists gather for WTO meeting in Mexico
Up to 15,000 anti-globalization activists -- less than the earlier expected 40,000 --will converge on the 5th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), this week in Cancun, Mexico, authorities said Monday.
Peasants from the International Peasant Way Group made the first of two planned protest marches against the meeting of the economic ministers of the WTO members, set for Sept. 10-14.
The security bodies who will guard the meeting said that by Thursday there could be about 10,000 demonstrators.
The second demonstration will take place on Sept. 13, with the participation of representatives from nearly 1,000 non-government organizations (NGOs). Parallel to the WTO event, 70 alternative forums will be held.
Alternative events sponsored by NGOs began last week. The International Women's Forum and the International Peasant Forum convened on Monday.
On Tuesday, about 3,000 members of the majority of the most radical anti-globalization groups, known as direct action groups, would arrive, said the NGOs coordinators.
To cope with this situation, more than 5,000 police and agents from different federal security bodies have braced for any sudden need for control.
In addition, the Mexican navy has deployed three ocean patrols to guard the Cancun littoral and has arranged for the presence of light-interception boats.
Mexico's interior ministry said it had exchanged information with the United States, Canada and Europe on possible terrorist threats.
Fire alarm in seat of Venezuelan electoral authority
A fire was reported early Monday at the seat of the electoral authority of Venezuela in Caracas, which brought about an alarm nationwide, according to local press.
The Information Director of the National Electoral Council (CNE)Alfredo Palacios said the fire was produced by a short circuit in the administrative areas.
A few minutes following the fire, over 150 firemen from the adjacent area of the commercial center, in downtown Caracas, went to the spot of the incident.
The National Guard (GN), the law-enforcement institution in charge of guarding the CNE, surrounded the area in order to guarantee the security of the electoral authority facilities.
Commander of the fire department of the Federal District, Rodolfo Briceno said the situation was under control and there were no one injured. Despite the alarm, the building did not have to be evacuated, he added.
It is reported that the nearly 3 million signatures presented by the opposition, through which a binding referendum is sought, are safe and sound, and are kept in another place.
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