WTO chief calls for a Paris-style deal

The World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) first Ministerial Conference in Africa began here on Tuesday with leaders from the continent and the WTO chief Roberto Azevedo exhorting(strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something) the 162 member countries to be inspired by 195 nations recently inking the ‘historic’ Paris agreement on measures to curb global warming, and reach a similarly ambitious pact in a few days to liberalise world trade for lifting millions of people out of poverty.

The ministerial conference (the WTO’s highest decision-making body) is taking place in the Kenyan capital at a time when the global trade body is celebrating its 20th anniversary, but in the backdrop of sluggish(slow-moving or inactive) world trade and tepid global economic growth.

However, persisting deep differences between the developed and the developing world on market opening commitments and their entrenched positions are expected to make the job of the Ministers difficult in reaching a consensus, especially to remove the distortions in world trade.

Developed countries, citing the slow progress of the ongoing Doha Round negotiations (which began in 2001), want the Round to be either brought to an end during this ministerial conference, or its ambit to be expanded by including ‘new’ issues of their interest and what they call are the latest challenges facing global trade. These include global value chains, e-commerce, labour, environment, competition policies, investment pacts and state-owned enterprises.

Data that may be helpful:

Meanings:

• exhorting: strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something
• sluggish : slow-moving or inactive 

Important Points:-

 

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization which regulates international trade. The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123 nations on 15 April 1994, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948. The WTO deals with regulation of trade between participating countries by providing a framework for negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants' adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of member governments.
• Roberto Azevêdo,the current Director-General is Roberto Azevêdo of Brazil, since 1 September 2013. 
• 10th WTO Ministerial Conference on 15–18 December 2015 in Kenya Nairobi, Kenya
• 9th WTO Ministerial Conference on 3–6 December 2013 in Indonesia Bali, Indonesia

Source:- The Hindu, 15-Dec-2015