Achieve development
In November 1999 during the World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Seattle I led the delegation from the United Kingdom. I was convinced the expansion of world trade could bring major benefits to developing countries and would be a key to tackle world poverty. For this, developing countries needed to embrace fully trade liberalisation.
The thinking behind this approach goes thus: the discipline of the market would resolve problems of underperformance; a strong and robust economy would emerge and as a result the poor would benefit. This still remains the position of international bodies like the imf and the World Bank and is reflected in their loan agreements with developing countries.
But my mind has changed. I now believe that this approach is wrong and misguided. Since leaving the Cabinet a year ago I've travelled and seen at first hand the consequences of trade policy. I have met farmers and communities at the sharp end. This experience has led me to conclude we need a different approach. One which recognises the importance of managing trade with the objective of achieving development goals.
International trade does have the potential
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