Doha Agreement Upsc
The Doha Agreement, also known as the Doha Development Agenda, was a trade negotiation round conducted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2001-2015. The goal of the negotiations was to reduce trade barriers and increase market access for developing countries.
The Doha Agreement was an important part of global trade policy, and it had significant implications for the Indian economy. The negotiations aimed to address issues related to agriculture, intellectual property rights, and services trade.
In terms of the Indian economy, the Doha Agreement was particularly important for the agricultural sector. India is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world, and the negotiations aimed to reduce subsidies provided by developed countries that created trade barriers for Indian farmers.
The Doha Agreement also addressed issues related to intellectual property rights, which were of particular concern for the Indian pharmaceutical industry. The negotiations aimed to balance the need for innovation with the need for affordable medicines, and to ensure that developing countries had access to life-saving drugs.
Finally, the Doha Agreement addressed issues related to services trade, which is an important sector of the Indian economy. The negotiations aimed to reduce barriers to trade in services such as finance, tourism, and telecommunications.
Despite the significance of the Doha Agreement, the negotiations ultimately collapsed in 2015 without reaching a consensus. While there were many factors that contributed to the failure of the negotiations, one key issue was the lack of agreement between developed and developing countries on issues related to trade barriers and subsidies.
In conclusion, the Doha Agreement was an important trade negotiation round that had significant implications for the Indian economy. While the negotiations ultimately failed, the issues addressed in the agreement continue to be relevant for global trade policy today. As such, it is important for policymakers and trade experts to continue to engage in discussions about reducing trade barriers and increasing market access for developing countries.