ICC urges G8 governments to focus on international trade

ICC urges G8 governments to focus on international trade    The International Chamber of Commerce has asked the Group of Eight nations to intensify their international economic cooperation and restore the global economy.
   “Our key message, now that the war in Iraq is over, is to urge governments to put their divisions behind them and commit themselves to renewed multilateral cooperation for the vital purposes of rebuilding business and consumer confidence and reinvigorating a weak global economy,” the ICC said in a statement to French President Chirac, who will host a G8 meeting in Evian June 1-3.
   The ICC is concerned about the successful conclusion of the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round on trade liberalization by the end of 2004. The chamber, so far, doesn’t believe negotiations have been “sufficiently fast and substantial.”
   The ICC chastised the G8 for the missed deadlines on farm trade, implementation issues for developing countries and the supply of medicine to poor countries.
   The ICC asked the G8 to “work with business to ensure that security measures are cost-effective and pose minimum hindrance to international trade.”