The Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations aims to lower trade barriers around the world, permitting free trade between countries of varying prosperity. As of 2006, talks have stalled over a divide between the European Union and the United States and the major developing countries (represented by the G20 developing nations), led and represented mainly, however, by the G5 bloc. The World Trade Organization (WTO, French: , Spanish: ) is an international organization that establishes rules for international trade through consensus among its member states. ... A trade barrier is general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts international trade, the barriers can take many forms, including: Import duties Import licenses Export licenses Quotas Tariffs Subsidies Non-tariff barriers to trade Most trade barriers work on the same principle: the imposition of some... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... G20 countries. ...

The Doha round began with a ministerial-level meeting in Doha, Qatar in 2001, with subsequent ministerials in Cancún, Mexico (2003), and Hong Kong, China (2005). Related negotiations have taken place in: Geneva, Switzerland; Paris, France; and again Geneva. Doha (Arabic: ‎, translit: or ), population 400,051 (2005 census), is the capital of Qatar and is at , on the Persian Gulf. ... Cancún (pronounced can-koon) is a coastal city in Mexicos easternmost state, Quintana Roo. ... Hong Kong (香港; Cantonese IPA: ; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2; Yale: heūng góng; pinyin: Xiānggǎng; Wade-Giles: Hsiang-kang) is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

Doha

The Doha round of WTO negotiations began in November 2001. This round was to have begun at the 3rd ministerial conference in Seattle in 1999, and was to have been called "The Seattle Round" but severe demonstrations disrupted those meetings, and this round's beginning was put off until the meetings at the more secure and controllable Doha, Qatar. The purpose was to agree on the Doha Development Agenda, and from there negotiate opening agricultural and manufacturing markets. The intent of the round, according to its proponents, was to make trade rules fairer for developing countries.[1] [2] Opponents charged that the round would expand a system of trade rules that were bad for development and interfered excessively with countries' domestic "policy space". [3] On November 30, 1999, the World Trade Organization convened in Seattle, Washington, USA, for what was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations. ... Protest activity surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations, occurred on November 30, 1999, when the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened in Seattle, Washington, USA. The negotiations were quickly overshadowed by massive and controversial street protests... Anthem: As Salam al Amiri Capital (and largest city) Doha Official languages Arabic, English Government Monarchy  - Emir Hamad bin Khalifa  - Prime Minister Abdullah bin Khalifah Al Thani Independence1 from the United Kingdom   -   September 3, 1971  Area  - Total 11,437 km² (164th) 7,106 sq mi   - Water (%) negligible Population  - July 2006... Manufacturing, a branch of industry which accounts for about one-quarter of the worlds economic activity, is the application of tools and a processing medium to the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale. ... Look up Market in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Cancún

The 2003 Cancún talks — intended to forge concrete agreement on the Doha round objectives — collapsed after four days during which the members could not agree on farm subsidies and access to markets. Negotiations focused upon four key areas: agriculture, industrial goods, trade in services, and updated customs codes. Services are: plural of service Tertiary sector of industry IRC services Web services the name of a first-class cricket team in India This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. ...

The North-South divide was most prominent on issues of agriculture. Rich countries’ farm subsidies (both the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and the U.S. government agro-subsidies) became a major sticking point. The developing countries were seen as finally having the confidence to reject a deal that they viewed as unfavorable. This is reflected by the new trade bloc of developing and industrialized nations: the G20. Since its creation, the G20 has had fluctuating membership, but is spearheaded by the G4 (People's Republic of China, India, Brazil & South Africa), and overall accounts for approximately 65% of the world population, 72% of its farmers and at least 2/3 of its agricultural output .^{[citation needed]} The North-South divide is the socio-economic and political division which exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as The North, and the poorer developing countries, or The South. Although most nations comprising the North are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere, the divide is not primarily... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A trade bloc is a large free trade area or free trade area formed by one or more tax, tariff and trade agreements. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Map of countries by population —showing the population of the Peoples Republic of China and India, the only two countries to have a population greater than a billion. ... Farmer spreading grasshopper bait in his alfalfa field. ...

Geneva, 2004

The August 2004 Geneva talks achieved a framework agreement on opening global trade. The U.S., EU, Japan and Brazil agreed to end export subsidies, reduce agricultural subsidies and lower tariff barriers. Developing nations agreed to reduce tariffs on manufactured goods, but gain the right to specially protect key industries. The agreement also provides for simplified customs, and stricter rules for rural development aid. August 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: August 2004 in sports Deaths in August 2004 • 30 Fred Whipple • 26 Laura Branigan • 24 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross • 18 Elmer Bernstein • 15 Amarsinh Chaudhary • 14 CzesÅ‚aw MiÅ‚osz • 13 Julia Child • 8... Export Subsidy is a government policy to encourage export of goods and discourage sale of goods on the domestic market through low-cost loans or tax relief for exporters, or government financed international advertising or R&D. The WTO prohibits most subsidies directly linked to the volume of exports. ... A tariff is a tax on foreign goods. ... Rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China Rural areas (also referred to as the country, countryside) are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities. ... It has been suggested that Official Development Assistance, Foreign aid, Tied aid, Aid effectiveness, Output-based aid be merged into this article or section. ...

Paris, 2005

Trade negotiators wanted to make tangible progress before the December 2005 WTO meeting in Hong Kong, and hoped to agree to the deal before 2007 when U.S. fast-track legislation expires. Without fast-track, it will be much harder to get a ratification from the U.S. Senate. December 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → 31 December 2005 (Saturday) 25-year-old Scottish human rights worker Kate Burton and her parents are freed unharmed in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian gunmen who kidnapped them two days earlier. ... Fast track gives the President of the United States authority to negotiate trade agreements that cannot be amended by Congress, only voted on yes or no. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate The Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ...

Paris talks were hanging over a few issues: France protested moves to cut subsidies to farmers, while the U.S., Australia, the EU, Brazil and India failed to agree on issues relating to chicken, beef and rice. Most of the sticking points were small technical issues, making trade negotiators fear that agreement on large politically risky issues will be substantially harder. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A cut of beef. ... Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa Rice is two species of grass (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) native to tropical and subtropical southern & southeastern Asia and in Africa. ...

By July-August an agreement was needed in order to finalize negotiations for agreement in Hong Kong. Oxfam charged the EU with "delaying tactics" which have threatened to spoil the round. Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 independent, non-profit, secular, community-based aid and development organizations who work with local partners in over 100 countries worldwide to reduce poverty, suffering, and injustice. ...

Hong Kong

The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference took place in Hong Kong, December 13 to 18, 2005. The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, also known as the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the WTO and abbreviated as MC6, was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong from 13th to 18th December 2005. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 18 December) December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trade ministers representing most of the world's governments reached a deal that sets a deadline for eliminating subsidies of agricultural exports by 2013. The final declaration from the talks, which resolved several issues that have stood in the way of a global trade agreement, also requires industrialized countries to open their markets to goods from the world's poorest nations, a goal of the United Nations for many years. The declaration gives fresh impetus for negotiators to try to finish a comprehensive set of global free trade rules by the end of 2006. Pascal Lamy, Director General of the WTO, said, "I now believe it is possible, which I did not a month ago." Pascal Lamy Pascal Lamy (born 8 April 1947) is the director-general of the World Trade Organization, a French political advisor, a businessman, and a former European Commissioner for Trade. ...

As many as 2000 protestors demonstrated outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the location of the talks. Clashes with the police left at least 116 people injured, including 56 officers, although there were no critical injuries according to the authorities.

Geneva, 2006

The July 2006 talks in Geneva failed to reach an agreement about reducing farming subsidies and lowering import taxes, and continuation of the negotiations will take months to resume. A successful outcome of the Doha round has become increasingly unlikely, because the broad trade authority granted under the Trade Act of 2002 to U.S. president George W. Bush expires in 2007.[4] Any trade pact will then have to be approved by the U.S. Congress with the possibility of amendments, which creates an additional burden on the U.S. negotiators and decreases the willingness of other countries to participate. The Trade Act of 2002 (HR 3009; also called the ) grants the President of the United States the authority to negotiate trade deals with other countries and only gives Congress the approval to vote up or down on the agreement, but not to amend it. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... A trade pact is a wide ranging tax, tariff and trade pact that usually also includes investment guarantees. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

Hong Kong offered to mediate the collapsed trade liberalisation talks. Director-General of Trade and Industry, Raymond Young, says the territory, which hosted the last round of Doha negotiations, has a "moral high-ground" on free trade that allows it to play the role of "honest broker".

References

Geneva, 2006

• Hong Kong disappointed by Doha talks collapse, from Radio Television Hong Kong, 26 July 2006
• No Tears for Doha, from The Guardian, 26 July 2006
• WTO global trade talks collapse, from CNN, 24 July 2006
• Europe blames US for WTO failure, from BBC News, 24 July 2006
• WTO Talks Collapse : Good News for the Developing World from Focus on the Global South, 1st July, 2006
• Global Trade Watch Statement on Collapse of Talks
• Vatican Statement on latest Doha Round mini-ministerial

Paris: The logo of RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (abbreviation: RTHK; Chinese: 香港電台; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 din6 toi4, Yale: hēung góng dihn tòih; Mandarin Pinyin: ) is a broadcasting organisation in Hong Kong that is operated as an independent department in the government under the Broadcasting Authority. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... (Redirected from 1st July) July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

• Q&A: World trade in crisis, from BBC News, 4 May 2005

Geneva, 2004: The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Trade agreement at a glance, from BBC News, 2 August 2004
• Q&A: WTO trade breakthrough, from BBC News, 1 August 2004
• World trade deal gets thumbs-up, from BBC News, 1 August 2004

Overview: August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Timeline: World Trade Organisation, from BBC News
• Larry Elliott, The Guardian, June 15, 2005, "West accused of concealing farm subsidies: Oxfam says EU and US are exploiting loopholes and using creative accounting to avoid real trade concessions to developing countries"

WTO Resources The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• List of Ministerial Conferences
• WTO site on the Doha Round

Other

• Congressional Research Service Report on Doha Round
• Congressional Research Service Report on Agriculture in Doha Round
• THE HOYOS FILE: Going bananas over global trade, from Nation Newspaper, July 31