WTO MC13 | Services trade issues get less attention at WTO despite having over 20% share in world trade
The Hindu
Abu Dhabi experts criticize WTO for neglecting services trade, focusing on non-trade issues, hindering developing countries' progress.
Trade in services such as movement of skilled professionals accounts for over 20% of the global commerce but the sector is still not getting sufficient attention in the negotiations of the WTO, according to experts and officials.
The experts also said that developed or rich member nations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are only interested in pushing their own non-trade agenda and not focusing on issues which really need special focus of the Geneva-based multi-lateral body.
Also read: WTO MC13 | What’s on the agenda for India?
Trade Ministers and officials of the 166-member WTO are gathered here to discuss wide ranging issues such as agriculture, and fisheries subsidies.
The 13th ministerial conference (MC13) of the WTO on Feb. 28 entered the third day. MC is the highest decision making body of the global trade watchdog.
“There are enough issues related to trade are there to discuss in the WTO like sanitary and phytosanitary issues, technical barriers to trade and mutual recognition agreements (MRAs), but the developed nations want to push new issues,” an international trade expert, who did not wish to be named, said.
Sharing similar views, an official said that there are no discussions on services trade in terms of how this can be improved.
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