WTO Member States Divided Over Current System Of Trade Talks

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been trying to reach a consensus on a global trade reforms package since the Doha round in 2001 hatched an ambitious plan to remove trade barriers.

Roberto Azevedo, WTO Director-General, on Thursday said that world trade talks are “deadlocked” and ministers are unlikely to find a way out of the impasse when they meet in Nairobi next month, Reuters reported.

"We clearly are stuck in the negotiations at this point in time," Azevedo told a news conference. "I think it will be very difficult to reconcile the views. I would say impossible at this point in time."

Some members are even suggesting negotiations should "start from scratch", the WTO chief said. Business Recorder reported that Azevedo told journalists about two camps in the organisation – one side that wants to reach a conclusion through the Doha framework, despite the apparent lack of progress, while "other members are saying, 'forget it, at some point in time we took a wrong turn... This is never going to lead us to a successful conclusion of the Doha round. Let's reengineer the whole thing. Essentially, let's start from scratch'", Azevedeo said. 

He said that that the benefits from global trade deal are likely to accrue mostly to the world’s poorest countries, although nothing is guaranteed.

"There is no agreement among WTO members on what they want to do. I just work there," he said. "I think even after Nairobi we're going to spend some time trying to figure out how we can best interact in the WTO that would allow us to deliver with the negotiating function of the organization."

The number of WTO member countries will rise to 162 when Kazakhstan joins on Monday. Azevedo believes that the member-states remain committed to the broad objectives of removing tariffs and freeing up global trade.