(a) the reasons for the failure of Doha round of negotiations;
(b) the details of the strategy adopted to make the negotiations successful;
(c) whether the Union Government has taken any decision to protect the interest of the
farmers and industrialists of the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)
(a) The Doha Round of trade negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which were
launched in November 2001, are still in progress. The negotiations were suspended on
24 July 2006 in view of the wide gaps in the positions of WTO Members, particularly in
respect of market access and domestic support issues in agriculture. The negotiations
resumed on 7 February, 2007. On 17 July 2007, the Chairmen of the WTO`s Committee on
Agriculture-Special Session and the Negotiating Group on Market Access brought out Draft
Modalities on Agriculture and Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) respectively.
Multilateral discussions on the Draft Modalities texts are being held since September 2007.
(b) Throughout the negotiations, India has been working constructively with coalition
partners in developing country groupings, such as the G-20, the G-33 and NAMA 11 to achieve
an outcome that would appropriately reflect the development dimension of the Doha Round
mandate.
(c ) & (d): The needs and interests of the developing and least-developed countries are
at the heart of the Doha Work Programme. A substantial and effective reduction in domestic
support and tariffs in agriculture by developed countries while enabling developing
countries to protect and promote the interests of their low income and resource poor
farmers is a key priority for India in the negotiations. The flexibilities available to
developing countries would be utilized for protecting the sensitive sectors in non-
agriculture from the impact of tariff reductions or bindings.