North-South Aspects
The Work
Programme contained in the WTO’s
2001 Doha Ministerial
Declaration (paragraphs 12-52) represents the wider framework of the
ongoing WTO negotiations. The dynamics of WTO negotiations of this
and the subsequent Ministerial Conference in Cancun are the subject of this
section. The analyses and accounts presented here demonstrate, from a
Southern perspective, the enormous difficulties of developing countries in
making their voices heard equitably, let alone be taken into consideration
and have them reflected in the results of a WTO Ministerial Conference.
These difficulties do not bode well for the implementation of
Trade, Environment and Poverty Alleviation Policies at the Doha
Development Agenda (DDA) and of course most importantly for its impact
in the medium and long term on developing countries and on poverty
alleviation.
Technology Transfer is of particular importance to the developing
countries in order to enable them to implement win-win-win strategies in
environment, development, and trade.
Lynn Mytelka's paper on TT in Environmental Goods and Services (air
pollution and renewable services) is of particular interest here.
Furthermore, this section explains the enormous challenge that GM food
and other GM plants represent for developing countries. Switzerland's 2003
Rapport à La Commission fédérale d'éthique pour le
génie génétique dans le
domaine non humain (CENH) explains the complexities, costs and
uncertainties to developing countries in preparing for genetically modified
imports. To make the situation even more unpredictable and risky for
developing countries under the best circumstances, these plants in most
cases have been developed by the private sector for large farms, and many
countries especially in Europe refuse to import certain GM varieties or pay
less for them than for the equivalent traditional varieties.
