World Trade Organisation (WTO) director-general Mike Moore said New Delhi was not showing any signs whatsoever of softening its stand on social issues like labour and environment in his discussions with Union ministers.
"India has very strong views on issues of social policy. No, I did not sense any softening. But if I had, I would not tell you," Moore told a gathering of newspersons after his meetings day before yesterday.
He added that there had been no change yet in the American or European stand on possible agenda items for a new trade round since the Seattle summit, but he felt that "there had to be a cooling period".
On environment, he pointed out that a committee already existed under the WTO and that no harm had been done to trade and developing countries by the existence of the committee.
On the last day of his visit to India, Moore met Union commerce and industry minister Murasoli Maran and finance minister Yashwant Sinha. He will be visiting the US and the European Union as part of an effort to build a consensus among members. "India is a core member that will be critical - sooner or later - to the success of a new round," he said.
On greater transparency in the way the WTO is run, Moore said, "We have to revisit how we do things." However, he pointed out that several ambassadors felt that nothing needs to be done and that it was not the system that was at fault, but the agenda.
On whether the WTO should stick to trade-related issues, Moore said, "My view is that WTO must do what its members say. One member feels that anti-dumping must be on the agenda, another feels that labour is critical; the countries have the right to put the issues on the agenda. Nobody, including the DG (director-general) of the WTO, can tell a country what is important to its interests."
"I'm Mr Bland. I have no opinion," Moore added.
He argued that change was the main reason behind the growing resentment towards the WTO. "We are going through a fundamental reshaping of economic activity in the world. We are seeing something bigger than we realise. There is enormous anxiety. There has never been a greater feeling of anxiety." He said the WTO is getting picked on because it pulled 134 ministers together. "We are a democratic body."