摘要：Despite concerns about security and the ability of countries to focus on trade issues following the
events of September 11, the Fourth WTO Ministerial began in Doha, Qatar, on November 9, 2001, as
scheduled. As with the Seattle Ministerial, the main purpose of the Doha Ministerial was to launch a new
comprehensive round of trade negotiations, covering a wide range of topics including agriculture, industrial
products, services, environmental issues, investment, government procurement, antidumping/ subsidies, and
intellectual property.3 Agriculture interests considered agreement on a broad agenda for future trade talks as
necessary for any progress because concessions gained in agriculture offset concessions granted in other
areas. A successful outcome of the Doha meeting, according to WTO officials, would involve unanimous
agreement on a Ministerial declaration¡ªa document outlining the scope and timing of a new round of trade
negotiations. Following the events of Seattle, the stakes were very high because there was great concern that
a second unsuccessful launch of a new round could deliver a severe blow to the institutional credibility of the
WTO and to the feasibility of reaching agreements through multilateral trade negotiations. So many issues
remained unresolved and the participating countries were so many.4
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