The controversies relating to
policies on Implementation, Investment, Competition, and Transparency
in government procurement and customs procedures were discussed. India
insisted that the "imbalances and inequities" in existing WTO agreements
on implementation should be undone. There is only a partial resolution
on 93 issues on implementation and WTO has agreed that the negotiations
on other implementation issues will be an integral part of future
work programme. WTO assured that the implementation issues would be
discussed on priority basis. India impressed upon the need for faster
removal of the textile quotas maintained by developed countries such
as US, as our textiles export is a significant earner of foreign exchange.
This is one major implementation issue that was brought forward by
India in Doha. The negotiation on other issues were put on the backburner
for now yielding to India's opposition, however these would be discussed
after the next WTO ministerial meeting in 2003.
Losses
The European Union agreed on phasing out subsidies on farm produce
but not right away. India could not prevent the opening of the WTO's
negotiations on environment issues. There is a fear that despite the
safeguards incorporated in the multilateral environment agreements,
the developed nations would raise barriers against goods from developing
nations on the pretext of environmental protection. India and other
developing countries got only a temporary relief from de-linking the
trade from environmental standards and these issues would come up
for discussion in future. In the long run, it would augur well for
our own interest to improve our environmental standards instead of
bargaining to de-link trade and environmental standards. Also, when
we condemn the dumping of products by developed nations especially
USA in developing countries like India, we also ought to concentrate
on eliminating child labour in manufacturing of textiles, carpet making,
leather and allied industries, which fetch us foreign exchange through
exports. Even from societal development point of view, we need to
address these issues although opposing the arm-twisting tactics of
developed nations based on these issues sounds pragmatic.
There is nothing to worry about the WTO decision to launch an ambitious
and board-based new round of negotiations, as this "work programme"
would take on board India's key concerns. Even those who are not forthright
in praising Maran conceded the fact that India's gains outweighed
the losses. By and large India's commercial interests, economy, and
livelihood of its people were furthered by Marans' spectacular performance
in Doha.
Developments in Afghanistan and India's
Stand on the future of Afghanistan
Switching gears to the other important international development,
it is heartening to note the developments in Afghanistan. It substantiates
the optimism that the war against Talibans would come to an end sooner
than later. Northern Alliance has captured the important cities Kabul,
Khandahar, and Jallalabad , reportedly at the behest of US, and the
Talibans are vacating from these cities and moving towards hilly regions.
The Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is on the run and it is reported
that the second in command in Al-Qaeda was killed in US bombing.
India is forthright in the Group-21 meeting in New York attended
by the regional nations around Afghanistan to discuss the developments
that are taking place in Afghanistan and also to decide on the post-war
scenario i.e. the shape of the future government in Afghanistan. India
had made it very clear to the United Nations (UN) that no country
should have a veto power in this discussion. India has also requested
the UN and the world countries to decide fast on the future of Afghanistan
as any political vacuum would lead to chaos in that country. India
is consistent in its stand that a "broad-based multi-ethnic transitional
government" should be installed in Afghanistan. India has clearly
articulated to UN that the future government in Afghanistan should
be acceptable to the regional countries. Pakistan is averse to the
possibility that Northern Alliance would gain supremacy or prominence
in the future government of Afghanistan. Any positive development
in Afghanistan would serve the interest of India. It is interesting
to note that the five-point programme chalked out by UN for Afghanistan
includes almost all views expressed by India. The UN five-point programme
talks about installing a multi-ethnic transitional government for
two years, new constitution for Afghanistan, and keeping an International
Army to take care of any possible threat from wounded Talibans. India's
plans to re-open its embassy in Afghanistan at the earliest occasion
and to help Afghanistan reconstruct itself are nice gestures.
The disappointing development at the International scene last week
was the failure of the Texas meet between the US President George
W Bush and the Russian Premier Vladimer Putin to arrive at an agreement
to mutually reduce the nuclear arsenal. India can play an important
rule in achieving the end result of the Texas meet as the world peace
has an inverse correlation to the increasing quantity of nuclear arsenal.
