GLOBAL INEQUITY-PERPETUATING THE MISERY!

No matter how many meetings take place under the WTO for establishing really free trade amongst member nations, the issue of overcoming inequities that exist amongst the population in the third world is not going to be solved unless rich nations come forward to remove many distortions in their economies that contribute to the miserable situation vis-à-vis hunger in the developing world. Huge subsidies regime that exists in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand and many other developed countries continue to deny market access to third world countries many of them depending on exports of raw agri commodities.

"The promotion of social and economic equity, which the WHO and many civil society organizations maintain is central to respecting human rights obligations in health, therefore depends upon "narrowing the gap" between the worst off and best off over time. This process involves "a progressive flattening of the health gradient", says the WHO Commission, by improving the health of all social groups to a level closer to that of the most advantaged. Put simply, the unacceptable discrepancy in living standards between the developed and developing countries, with almost half the world — some 2.5 billion people — living on less than US$2 a day, is a fundamental factor in the global crisis of ill health".

Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) continue to hinder export of foods from poor countries to affluent nations and such measures come in many forms which often are arbitrary in nature. In spite of the existence of WTO for so long, nothing seems to have changed in reality. There is some substance in the concept of TCDC which was evolved a few years ago to foster better technical cooperation amongst developing countries for solving their problems themselves, instead of cringing for "aid' from those few fortunate wealthy ones.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com