Charities tell US Cong to walk away from Doha

Washington, Apr 27: A group of developing world charities, unions and nonprofit groups urged US Democratic lawmakers today to withdraw their support for world trade talks, which they say could deepen global poverty.

Congressional action on trade ''must include rejection of the current attempts to expand the failed World Trade Organization through the Doha round,'' a coalition of more than 200 groups said in a letter to Congress' Democratic majority.

The letter, sent earlier this week to Democrats in both houses, was signed by more than 200 groups ranging from the Africa Trade Network to ActionAid International, a South Africa-based aid and advocacy organization, to smaller national or local groups in countries like Peru, Angola and Sri Lanka.

The letter comes the same week that WTO chief Pascal Lamy canvassed Capitol Hill in an effort to drum up support for the Doha round. Negotiators now aim to conclude a deal by the end of the year, but after more than five years of missed deadlines, and with persisting divisions over agriculture trade, the round's fate remains murky.

It is also unclear how much support Democrats will give the round and whether they'll renew the Bush administration's trade negotiating powers, which expire this summer. Those powers, called fast track, are seen as crucial for a world trade deal.

In the letter, the groups argued that a Doha deal would not live up to its promises to boost poor economies and combat poverty through trade. It said trade liberalization to date had eroded incomes through out the developing world.

''We urge you to reject fast track for the WTO, and instead work together with your trading partners and global civil society for a new multilateral trade system that benefits all of us,'' they wrote.

Reuters>