The Doha Round’s premature obituary

THE Doha Round, the first multilateral trade negotiation conducted under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), is at a critical stage. Now in their 10th year, with much negotiated, the talks need a final political nudge, lest Doha and hence the WTO disappear from the world's radar screen.

Indeed, the danger is already real: when I was in Geneva a year ago and staying at the upscale Mandarin Oriental, I asked the concierge how far away the WTO was. He looked at me and asked: “Is the World Trade Organisation a travel agency?”