Oxfam: Doha not a development roun

Oxfam: Doha not a development rounGeneva - The World Trade Organization's ongoing round of talks on trade liberalization is not living up to its stated development agenda, meant to help economic growth in the emerging economies, the charity Oxfam said Thursday.

In a new report, Empty Promises, Oxfam says the Doha Development Round deal, as it currently stands, would not "re-balance decades of unfair agricultural and industrial trade rules."

Instead, the report says the round is leaning towards opening up developing markets further without offering them much in return.

The charity said such liberalization of poorer countries, without them enjoying the promised economic benefits of opening up, could further hurt those nations.

Development of the poorer sections of the world, Oxfam argues, should be the "central objective of negotiations and trade rules must respond to the needs of the most vulnerable people first and foremost."

"The main thing is really the political will and political engagement and not pretending that what is on the table really responds to the needs of developing countries," Romain Benicchio of Oxfam, told the German Press Agency dpa in a telephone interview.

The Doha Development Round was launched in Qatar in 2001 but has been stalled by disagreements between established economies and the developing world, largely over subsidies and market access.(dpa)

The Group of Eight powerful economies, along with five emerging markets, recently said at the G8 summit in Italy that they will try to conclude the Doha round next year.

Benicchio said he would like the main strong economies which handle the negotiations to keep in mind the needs of the poor and not simply push for greater market access to the developing world.

They "should not start (the round) all over, but rather take a step back and notice what is on the table and really to try address the needs of the developing countries," he said.

Oxfam said it would support a "development deal" particularly given the global economic downturn and the recent food crisis.

Any deal at the WTO must be adopted by all 153 members.