Trade Talks will fail if the needs of the poorest countries are not met – Minister Ahern

Irish Trade Minister, Michael Ahern, T.D., predicted today (Wednesday, 04 May 2005) that negotiations aimed at removing barriers to world trade will fail unless a better trade deal can be offered to the world’s poorest countries.

Minister Ahern was speaking in Paris at the annual Ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). At this years meeting, Trade Ministers from the 30 members of the group of industrialised countries are reviewing progress in the ongoing global trade liberalisation negotiations of the World Trade Organisation.

Minister Ahern urged other Ministers to agree to proposals which would lead to better export opportunities for the world’s developing countries. “Trade liberalisation has a huge contribution to make towards removing severe economic problems in the Third World and can make a real and substantial difference in the fight against world poverty”, Minister Ahern said.

Minister Ahern echoed the call being made by non-government organisations worldwide that a special deal needs to be worked out urgently for developing countries. Such a deal would include free access for the products of the least developed countries on to the markets of the industrialised west and substantial trade related technical and financial assistance to help in the development of their exports.

“There are huge benefits to be gained for all of us if these trade negotiations are a success but these will undoubtedly be lost if the world community does not respond positively to the legitimate aspirations for fair trade of the developing countries”, Minister Ahern concluded.

ENDS/TC 152