WTO Must Strengthen Rule-Based Framework | Wires
(The Insider Stories) — Mari Elka Pangestu, Indonesia’s minister for tourism and creative economy and candidate for the position of WTO Director-General, today underlined the importance of continuing to strengthen rule-based framework of the WTO and making progress in multilateral negotiations.
“We need a stronger political will to guide Geneva negotiators to ensure deliverables at the 9th WTO ministerial conference in Bali this December as early harvest especially on trade facilitation in order to generate momentum and to move on to completing the Doha Development Agenda after the Bali meeting,” she said.
The foremost challenge for the WTO was how to interpret the ‘vision’ for the WTO, she said and added that this could be looked at from two perspectives ~ how to meet the immediate challenges and how to keep the relevance of WTO undiluted in the years ahead.
Mr Rizali W Indrakesuma, Ambassador of Indonesia to India, said his country also aspires to directly contribute in supporting the WTO in its role of assuring a rule-based multilateral trading system.
Dr Arbind Prasad, Director-General, Ficci, said to meet the immediate challenges, it may be necessary to pursue fresh, innovative approaches to get the WTO talks back on track.
