Global InformationDoha Development Round information
| Doha Development Round | |
|---|---|
 The Doha Development Round logo. | |
| Status | On-going |
| Genre | Trade Round |
| Begins | November, 2001 |
| Location(s) | Doha, Cancun, Geneva, Hong Kong, Paris, Potsdam |
| Country | Qatar, Mexico, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Germany |
| Previous event | Uruguay Round |
| Participants | 164 [1] |
The Doha Development Round or Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is the trade-negotiation round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which commenced in November 2001 under then director-general Mike Moore. Its objective was to lower trade barriers around the world, and thus facilitate increased global trade.
The Doha Agenda began with a ministerial-level meeting in Doha, Qatar in 2001. The aim was to put less developed countries' priorities at heart. The needs of the developing countries were the core reasons for the meeting. The major factors discussed include trade facilitation, services, rules of origin and dispute settlement. Special and differential treatment for the developing countries were also discussed as a major concern. Subsequent ministerial meetings took place in Cancún, Mexico (2003), and Hong Kong (2005). Related negotiations took place in Paris, France (2005), Potsdam, Germany (2007), and Geneva, Switzerland (2004, 2006, 2008). Progress in negotiations stalled after the breakdown of the July 2008 negotiations.[2][3]
The most significant differences are between developed nations led by the European Union (EU), the United States (US), Canada, and Japan and the major developing countries led and represented mainly by India, Brazil, China, and South Africa. There is also considerable contention against and between the EU and the US over their maintenance of agricultural subsidies—seen to operate effectively as trade barriers.[4] Since the breakdown of negotiations in 2008, there have been repeated attempts to revive the talks, so far without success. Intense negotiations, mostly between the US, China, and India, were held at the end of 2008 seeking agreement on negotiation modalities, an impasse which was not resolved. In April 2011, then director-general Pascal Lamy "asked members to think hard about 'the consequences of throwing away ten years of solid multilateral work'."[5] A report to the WTO General Council by Lamy in May 2012 advocated "small steps, gradually moving forward the parts of the Doha Round which were mature, and re-thinking those where greater differences remained."[6] Adoption of the Bali Ministerial Declaration on 7 December 2013[7] for the first time successfully addressed bureaucratic barriers to commerce—a small part of the Doha Round agenda.[8]
In 2015, the United States government called for an end to the Doha round, and by 2017 it was declared "dead" by numerous commentators, including the Financial Times.[9][10] However, the World Trade Organization states the 2015 Ministerial Meeting in Nairobi "agreed [that] a strong commitment remained among all members to advance negotiations on the remaining Doha issues."[11]
- ^ Gerber, James (2020). International Economics, 8e (Eighth ed.). 221 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030: Pearson Education, Inc. p. 23. ISBN 9780136892410. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Fergusson ps, Ian F. (18 January 2008). "World Trade Organization Negotiations: The Doha Development Agenda" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BBC 29 July 2008was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
CRS-1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Documents from the negotiating chairs, 21 April 2011 at WTO official website
- ^ Report by the Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee News item at WTO official site, 2 May 2012
- ^ Bali Ministerial Declaration and decisions Archived 18 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine at WTO official website. Accessed 31 December 2013
- ^ Walker, Andrew (7 December 2013). "WTO agrees global trade deal worth $1tn". BBC News. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "The Doha round finally dies a merciful death". Financial Times. 21 December 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Martin, Antoine; Mercurio, Bryan (1 January 2017). "Doha dead and buried in Nairobi: lessons for the WTO". Journal of International Trade Law and Policy. 16 (1): 49–66. doi:10.1108/JITLP-01-2017-0001. ISSN 1477-0024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "WTO | Doha Development Agenda". World Trade Organization. Retrieved 12 February 2024.