The World Trade Organization opened its first plenary session since the disrupted talks in Seattle two years ago, as representatives from 142 member countries gathered in Doha, the capital of the Arab Gulf State of Qatar.
A long list of topics is on the agenda, headed by agricultural disputes, environmental concerns, patent and trade rights in pharmaceutical products and market access for financial services, including insurance.
Security is extremely tight for the conference, and it’s unlikely that the riots and demonstrations which afflicted the WTO’s last meeting in Seattle will be repeated. The Qatari government has restricted entry visas mostly to delegates, and has put its armed forces on high security alert.
The meeting is expected to formalize the entry of China and Taiwan to the WTO. It will also consider the relations between the developing world, which makes up more than two thirds of the WTO membership, and the U.S. and European Union, Japan and other developed countries.
Insurers have been seeking greater access to the frequently closed, or heavily regulated, markets in the developing world, and some progress has been made, notably in China and India, but the issue, along with other concerns about financial services, requires further negotiations.
The meeting comes at a critical time for the world economy, which is on the brink of, if not already into, a recession. The terrorist attacks on the U.S., and the resulting war in Afghanistan, while not officially on the agenda, will also be discussed, as will proposals to begin another round of multi-lateral trade talks within the next two years.
The conference is scheduled to conclude next Tuesday.
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