1.6.3. Doha Ministerial Meet

On resistance from developing countries regarding Singapore issues, all the countries agreed to a development agenda known as Doha Development Agenda. The intent of this round was to make trade rules fairer for developing countries. Main issues taken up were

♤ Public stockholding Issue: As per the Agreement on Agriculture of WTO, a developing country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production taking 1986-88 as base year. India and other developing countries have been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap and the base year, as this limit is insufficient to meet domestic food security challenges.

♤ The special and differential treatment for developing countries shall be an integral part of all elements of the negotiations to enable developing countries to effectively take account of their development needs, including food security and rural development.

♤ Services: The qualitative improvement in the revised offers especially on crosses border supply and movement of natural persons. The negotiations on trade in services shall be conducted with a view to promoting the economic growth of all trading partners and the development of developing and least-developed countries.

♤ Patents: A major topic at the Doha ministerial regarded the WTO Agreement on Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The issue involves the balance of interests between the pharmaceutical companies in developed countries that held patents on medicines and the public health needs in developing countries. Before the Doha meeting, the United States claimed that the current language in TRIPS was flexible enough to address health emergencies, but other countries insisted on new language. On 30 August 2003, WTO members reached agreement on the TRIPS and medicines issue. Voting in the General Council, member governments approved a decision that offered an interim waiver under the TRIPS Agreement allowing a member country to export pharmaceutical products made under compulsory licenses to least-developed and certain other members. It also allows members to not to allow evergreening of Patents.