To Discuss Reorganization of World Trade Order

The fourth ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which will deal with the New Round negotiation for the world trade order hereafter, is to be held in Doha, Qatar today (9th).

The ministerial meeting, which continues until 13th, decides whether the New Round should be launched which will become a new framework for the 21st century world trade. The meeting also plans to officially approve the membership of China (population 1.3 billion) and Taiwan on 10th (Saturday night or Sunday early morning in Korean time).

6,000 people from all over the world, including 142 WTO membership countries, international organizations, NGO representatives, and the press corps, are to participate in the meeting. The South Korean government sent the director of the trade-negotiation Hwang Doo-Yeon as the head representative along with 42 people from 9 government organizations and 5 research institutes.

Member countries plan to adopt the ministerial declaration on the launch of the New Round negotiation and the ministerial decision regarding the execution of the WTO agreements. Along with this, the meeting is to adopt a separate ministerial declaration regarding the approach to the medicine and the public health in order to stimulate the supply of medicine for contagious diseases such as AIDS.

The ministerial meeting is the highest decision making organization of the WTO, and has been held every other year since the inauguration of the WTO. Having learned from the previous experience of the failure of the launch of the New Round at the third meeting in Seattle, U.S., in 1999, the member countries have intensified the individual contact among countries and regions since this year, and have already written the draft of the ministerial declaration regarding the launch of the New Round.

Therefore, it is anticipated that the New Round is highly likely to launch. However, hot debates are also anticipated since major countries have different opinions regarding the adoption of separate agendas such as agriculture, environment, and investment.

South Korea`s strategy is that the early launch of the New Round is necessary for the continuing development since South Korea`s reliance on the overseas trade is high. South Korea plans to make clear its basic stance through the keynote speech at the general meeting.

sckim007@donga.com