Yong Sung Park, Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, said yesterday that the organization is "extremely concerned" that the Doha trade negotiations are now in "serious trouble". He called on ICC national committees and chambers of commerce around the world to keep up pressure on governments to achieve the aims of the Doha Round in agriculture, services and trade facilitation. He emphasized that, notwithstanding the problems, ICC remains optimistic. "There is," he reminded his audience, "a tactical approach by many negotiators to wait until the last minute to give concessions."

 

Mr  Park was speaking at the opening of the 13th Eurochambres Congress in Stavanger, Norway, where the central theme under discussion is the future conditions of entrepreneurship and employment creation in Europe.

 

Mr Park added that the Doha trade rounds has contributed enormously to liberalizing world trade and improving market access, and is a major driving force for global economic growth, job creation, and wider consumer choice. 

 

He also expressed concern over the growth of counterfeiting and piracy of intellectual property. It has resulted in the widespread loss of employment; reduced the incentive to invest, and the creative community is robbed of reward for effort and innovation. In addition, consumers are increasingly being harmed by unsafe counterfeit products.

 

Mr Park emphasized ICC's work to combat the problem through the creation of BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy) in 2004 and said that many business leaders around the world are participating in this ICC initiative.

 

Mr Park congratulated Pierre Simon on his election as President of Eurochambres. Mr Simon is currently President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris, who succeeds Dr Christoph Leitl from Austria.

 

Mr Park is Chairman of Doosan Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., and of the Doosan Group, the ninth  largest conglomerate in Korea. A firm believer in the value of chambers of commerce, Mr Park was elected to the ICC’s Executive Board in January 1998 and became Chairman of ICC in January 2005.