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Trade Policy at Work

Poor countries being ignored in economic crisis

The global community needs to urgently address the marginalisation of the world’s poorest countries while discussing ways out of the economic meltdown, says Ujal Singh Bhatia, India’s ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The global community needs to urgently address the marginalisation of the world’s poorest countries while discussing ways out of the economic meltdown, says Ujal Singh Bhatia, India’s ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

“Marginalisation of low income economies in the multilateral trade policy making process and in international efforts to contain the ongoing economic crisis is an unaddressed challenge in the contemporary global dialogue,” Bhatia told the just-ended WTO public forum here.

He said the participation of least developed countries (LDCs) at the national, regional and multilateral levels is critical for reaping the full benefits of trade liberalisation — the aim of the stalled Doha Round of world trade talks.

Bhatia was moderating a session titled “New and Old Challenges to Inclusiveness in a Recessionary Global Economic System” hosted by CUTS International — an India-headquartered international NGO and thinktank — in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Matern Yakobo Lumbanga, Tanzania’s ambassador and coordinator of the LDC group in WTO, told the Sep 28-30 forum there was a need to remove “supply side bottlenecks” in developing countries through well-planned long-term investments rather than relying on aid.