WTO Director General dialogues with MPs at IPU Meeting on International Trade

The 182 MPs from 71 national parliaments, gathered together in Geneva at the initiative of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on 8 and 9 June 2001 for the first ever world parliamentary meeting on international trade, adopted a final declaration in which they underscored the need to intensify their activities in national parliaments aimed at overseeing and influencing government policy in relation to trade negotiations. A total of 315 delegates were present at the meeting.

"Proactive role of parliaments in the field of international trade" says President of IPU Council

From right to left: Dr. Najma Heptulla Mr Mike Moore, Mr Anders B. Johnsson

The President of the IPU Council, Dr. Najma Heptulla, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Indian Rajya Sabha (Upper House) explains the achievements of the first parliamentary meeting on international trade organised by the IPU in Geneva on 8 and 9 June.

Q : What is the result of this first parliamentary meeting on international trade ?
Dr. Najma Heptulla: "There was a gap between the parliamentarians and the multilateral trade negotiations. The parliaments were never taken into confidence, and this culminated with the Marrakech Agreement. When the final document came before the public and the parliaments, fears were expressed. There have been demonstrations all over the world, both in developed and the developing countries and in the parliaments. In democracy, governments have to face parliaments and either they face them now, taking them into confidence, or they face them after. We, in the IPU, feel it is much better that MPs are involved from the beginning [ in the trade negotiations ] so that the work of governments become easier. We can give inputs from our perspective as people's representatives as we represent both the majority in the government and the minority in the opposition.

Q : Is there a consensus on that proposal ?
N.H: I had discussions with many delegations from the developing and the developed countries. They all want to be focused on bridging the gap. The developing countries feel that the gap between rich and poor should be narrowed, because the fruits of globalisation are part of the globalisation....The IPU can be a catalyst, a bridge to help our governments, our peoples and the WTO.

Q: What is the message of the MPs gathered in Geneva ?
N.H:The parliamentarians' job is to satisfy, to whatever extend we can, our electorate for sustainable development, better job, better medical facilities, health services, education. These are the major issues we are worried about, and we do not want to see imbalance in the world, it is not good for anybody : either for developing nor for developed countries. Because in any case the market is one. We have to develop so that the purchasing power in developing countries improve and the produced goods could be sold in the developing world, and the developing world's agriculture products could find better market in the developed countries...Today, there must be a two ways traffic and not only one.