A team from the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) is in Geneva this week to lobby for a successful conclusion to the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Development Agenda.

New Zealander Tony Nowell chairs ABAC’s Liberalisation Working Group and is in Geneva for this visit.

“Achieving a meaningful and prompt conclusion to Doha remains a top trade priority for New Zealand”, said ABAC New Zealand’s Senior Policy Adviser and NZIBF Executive Director Stephen Jacobi.

“Concluding Doha would represent massive stimulus to the global economy and deal effectively with persisting problems like export subsidies.  Business from all over APEC is exasperated with the excessive delay – this is the key message that the team is taking direct to negotiators in Geneva”.

The programme for the team’s visit has been co-ordinated by the New Zealand mission in Geneva working with other APEC missions.  ABAC representatives from New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and the ABAC Secretariat are taking part.  The outcome of the visit will be communicated to ABAC’s meeting with APEC Economic Leaders in Singapore in November.