The sixth ministerial conference of World Trade Organisation (WT0) kicked off in Hong Kong Tuesday amidst strong anti-globalisation protests.

In his speech during the opening session of the WTO’s 6th ministerial conference, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that WTO conference must make progress in the troubled free trade talks this week or disappoint the millions who ‘yearn to lift themselves out of poverty’, agency reports said.

South Korean protesters wear red bandanas as they participate in a rally against the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong. (Photo source : AP)
Ministers from 149 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are participating in the six-day long conference to push forward the stalled Doha Round trade talks.

The meeting, attended by 5,800 delegates from WTO’s 149 members and 2,100 representatives from non-governmental organizations at the Convention and Exhibition Center, will focus on the topics of the Doha Round, which aims to reduce farm subsidies and tariffs, liberalize service trade and provide economic aids to developing countries.

The six-day meeting is meant to lay the groundwork for a global treaty by the end of 2006 that would cut trade barriers across a wide array of sectors, from agriculture to services, reports said.

But an impasse over farm trade has brought the negotiations to a virtual halt, with developing nations accusing the United States, European Union and other rich countries of not cutting agricultural tariffs and farm subsidies enough, keeping out exports from poorer nations.

Nepal is participating in the ministerial conference of the WTO as a full member after its accession to the World Trade regime on 2003.

Though Nepal do not have single agenda to raise in the conference, it will support the agendas submitted on behalf of 32 least developed counties (LDCs’), that was prepared during the meeting of LDCs’ in Zambia on June.

The LDCs’ will emphasise on the drastic reduction in the agriculture and export subsidies provided by the developed nations. They will also raise issues such as aid for trade, food aid and development dimensions as mentioned in the Doha Declaration.

Meanwhile, nearly hundred Nepalese were denied visas to go to Hong Kong to take part in the anti-globalization campaign.

Reports quoted General Secretary of All Nepal Peasants’ Association, Prem Dangal, as saying that the Hong-Kong government denied visa to nearly 100 Nepalese making different execuses.

As the ceremony got underway, dozens of anti-globalisation protesters inside the conference hall forced WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy to raise his voice to be heard as they chanted: ‘Development yes, Doha no’.

Outside, about 70 protesters leapt into Hong Kong harbour after a march by some 2,000 people against trade liberalisation.

“The WTO is driving us to our deaths,” a report quoted one Korean protester as saying.