'Development' in the Doha Development Round!
Seminar in Delhi

As part of the series of activities organized in preparation of the Fifth Ministerial of the WTO in Cancun, RIS organized a Seminar on the Development in the Doha Development Round: Priorities for Cancun on Friday, August 8, 2003 in RIS Conference Hall.

Mr. Prabir Sengupta, Director General, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, and former Commerce Secretary chaired the seminar. The distinguished panelists included Mr. Shishir Priyadarshi, WTO Secretariat, Shri S.N. Menon, Additional Secretary (TPD), Department of Commerce, Govt. of India and Professor Muchkund Dubey, President, Council for Social Development.

The presentations highlighted various issues concerned with the Doha development agenda (DDA). Among the reasons cited for the possible lack of progress in implementations of DDA were lack of flexibility on the part of developed country Members, simultaneous negotiations on a large number of  issues,   explicit and implicit linkages  between progress (or lack of it) in different areas, and differences in priorities and objectives, amongst developing countries, because of the differences in their needs and levels of economic development.

It was argued that there is need to ensure that promised and anticipated benefits accrue to developing countries. Ways must be found to effectively respond to the specific needs of developing countries.

A large number of experts, representing media, government, business and industry circles, and research institutions took part in the Seminar.