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The Position of the Developing Countries
18
A balanced negotiation will require the effective and willing participation
of the developing world, and in particular of the newly industrialised countries.
It is here that the main hesitations about a new Round lie. The developing
countries have shown no disposition to contemplate, even in return for concessions
by the industrialised world, liberalisation of access to their markets for goods
and services. Instead they have concentrated on demanding full observance of GATT
disciplines by the industrialised countries (eg elimination of "grey area"
measures) together with further preferential treatment within the trading system
for themselves.
19 At the GATT Contracting Parties session in Geneva in November 1984, the
developing countries took the line that, if a new Round were embarked upon, its
basic objective should be "significant enlargement of access for developing countries'
exports to the markets of developed countries". They also rejected the idea of
including services. While such rigid pre-conditions are insisted upon, a productive
new Round looks unlikely. But informal contacts continue in Geneva in the hope
that the developing countries can be moved towards a more open-minded position.
In a genuine process of give and take, the developing countries could aim for
progress on items of interest to themselves: improved criteria for safeguard action
under GATT (which would imply an end to the "grey area"), liberalisation of trade
in agricultural products, an end to formal quantitative restrictions still
maintained by some developed countries and better market access for textiles.
The UK recognises that the developed world would need to consider concessions on
these lines as part of a balanced package.
20
One of the traditional strengths of the GATT has been its relative freedom
Regrettably the tendency of
from rhetorical confrontation on North/South lines.
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