A delegation from Cambodia has decided to back out of its trip to the WTO summit next week, citing security concerns.
Cambodia, which is seeking entry into the organization, was planning to attend the meeting of over 140 nations to be held from Nov 7 to Nov 17 in Qatar.
The decision is “just for security reasons. No one likes to go to a nightclub at 1 am, because it is not safe,” said Secretary of State for Commerce Sok Siphana, who was to have attended the meeting. He noted that Qatar is close to Afghanistan, where the US-led war against terror is being waged.
Cambodia would have attended the meeting as an observer. “Instead we are sending an official statement,” Sok Siphana said. “We will not lose any information about the meeting.”
The statement will be presented to each WTO member. Sok Siphana said government officials will follow the progress of the meeting on the WTO web site.
Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh had also been planning to attend the meeting.
Cambodia has long been trying to join the WTO, which grants each member nation equal trade status and a reduction of barriers to trade. It is the only global organization that governs the rules of trade of its member nations.
In July, a delegation of experts from six world organizations traveled to Cambodia to assess the country’s readiness to join the trade organization. Present were representatives from the WTO, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the UN Development Program, the UN Commission on Trade and Development and the International Trade Center.
Cambodia has also recently announced that Suos Someth, an economist who studied in the US and has worked for the National Bank of Cambodia and the Asian Development Bank, will become Cambodia’s first permanent representative to the WTO.
If Cambodia gains entry into the WTO, it will have to adopt and enforce over 40 new pieces of legislation, such as patent and copyright laws, higher product standards and higher standards of enforcement for trade legislation.
