12th November 2001

Jobs at Stake in Doha Talks

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Socialist Delegation of the European Parliament

Failure to make a deal in Doha would mean more inequality between rich and poor, and a lost opportunity to re-launch economic growth world-wide.

On the penultimate day of the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference, negotiations are still blocked by the incapacity of the EU and the US to remove blockages on issues such as TRIPS/Access to Medicine and to clear the path for new negotiations.

The EU must strengthen its alliance with developing countries on access to medicines, market access, cutting agricultural subsidies, promoting labour rights and the goal of sustainable development. The US must stop blocking progress on access to medicine, on agricultural and textile imports from poor countries, and on the removal of disguised US subsidies to agricultural exports.

Speaking in Doha, Max van den Berg, leader of the Socialist Delegation of the European Parliament in Doha, said:

“We have a great opportunity this week to begin to redress economic imbalances between rich and poor, and to build towards sustainable development for all the world’ people.

“It is time to tell the US that the EU is decisively on the side of the developing world, and to urge the US to show the generosity and flexibility needed in order to launch a new round, essential for economic reasons, and also for world stability, particularly in the wake of September 11th.”