Life after Doha: Some reflections in the run up to the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference on Bali

<strong>Life</strong> <strong>after</strong> <strong>Doha</strong> |
office before <strong>the</strong> Bali meet<strong>in</strong>g commences, but it will undoubtedly be a mixture of manag<strong>in</strong>g
expectations while try<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> edge Members <strong>to</strong>wards consensus. In many ways this is slightly
rem<strong>in</strong>iscent of <strong>the</strong> Tokyo Round, which also largely <strong>to</strong>ok place through troubled economic
times and which failed <strong>to</strong> achieve outcomes <strong>in</strong> a few important areas, such as agriculture and
safeguards. Never<strong>the</strong>less, GATT Contract<strong>in</strong>g Parties and <strong>the</strong> GATT Direc<strong>to</strong>r General Olivier Long
were able <strong>to</strong> snatch vic<strong>to</strong>ry from <strong>the</strong> jaws of defeat and conclude <strong>the</strong> round with some
noticeable successes. 80 It is more than remotely likely that his<strong>to</strong>ry will repeat itself here, and
that Bali may just provide <strong>the</strong> impetus needed <strong>to</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ally put all of us out of our <strong>Doha</strong>-­‐related
misery.
80 See, Gilbert R. W<strong>in</strong>ham, International Trade and <strong>the</strong> Tokyo Round Negotiation, Pr<strong>in</strong>ce<strong>to</strong>n University Press, 1986.
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