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Dispute settlement WTO provisions won't serve LDCs interests

The News Today
 January 27, 2004
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The existing dispute settlement understanding (DSU) of the World Trade Organisation is not friendly for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Besides, the process for solving the disputes is also time consuming and costly as well. This was observed at a dialogue organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue in the city on Monday. Director Emeritus of Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) Dennis Browne said that there have no enough provisions and legal contents in the dispute settlement issue in WTO agreement. The CPD in collaboration with CTPL organised the dialogue on 'Dispute settlement in the WTO: How Friendly is it for the LDCs?' at the CIRDAP auditorium on Monday. Browne presented a keynote paper at the dialogue. Chaired by CPD Executive Director Debapriya Bhattacharya, it was also addressed by Tariff Commission Chairman Mohammad Ali Taslim and Awami League leader Mohammad Faruk Khan MP. The open discussion session of the dialogue was attended by representatives of political parties, government officials, business representatives. civil society activists and development partners. Attending the dialogue as the Chief Guest Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said that WTO panel for dispute settlement should include LDC member. To improve the WTO provisions on DSU, the Minister said that they would put forward concrete suggestions on 12 areas in the perspective of LDCs. "We brought the consultation issue before anti-dumping and compensation issue in case of damages in the already signed SAFTA agreement and hope to raise these issues to he incorporated in WTO agreement," Khosru said. About the funding of litigation for LDCs, the Minister said that such cost should come from global trust fund and there had such a proposal in the Doha Declaration. Presenting a keynote pa-per Browne mentioned some remedies to improve the pro-visions on DSU. Dispute settlement talk should be held in the capital of least developed country and no settlement talk will cross 60 days limit. There may have also options for use of good offices, conciliation, mediation in case of failure in consultation. In case of conciliation or mutual understanding, both parties need to give extra 15 days to accept the solution proposal. He made another proposal that in case of failure in consultation and mutual understanding stages, expeditious arbitration should see its result within 60 days in-stead of three years. Besides, if any action of any country affects any enterprise of LDC, monetary compensation can be given, he added.