The Centre for Trade Policy and Development(CTPD) has urged African Ministers responsible for trade attending the 10th Ministerial Conference under the World Trade Organization to ensure that Africa’s position on the set agenda is not downplayed by other powerful economic blocks.
In a statement, CTPD Executive Director Isabel Mukelabai further urged African Ministers to remain resolute in pushing an agenda that will promote fair trade for Africa.
Mrs Mukelabai added that African Ministers should ensure that issues such as continued loss of revenue from the continent due to illicit financial flows are addressed.
She said the Ministers should also take advantage of the talks to ensure that the socio-economic challenges that the continent continues to face as a result of irresponsible trading activities by some players are addressed.
‘It is our opinion that such a gathering presents a great opportunity to advance formulation of fair trade policies among member states. It is also motivating to note that for the first time an African country plays host to the World Trade Organizations 10th Ministerial Conference,’ she said.
The WTO Ministerial Conference is a biennial event that sets the agenda on trade policy and being the topmost decision making body of the World Trade organization and has the powers to take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
‘Given this fact, it is our sincere hope that the MC10 will deliver strong development outcomes. As the Ministers gather, some of the key issues that will be on the agenda include issues around the Doha Development Round (DDA) outcomes of 2001,’ Mrs Mukelabai said.
She added, ‘We urge our African representatives to ensure that negotiations around the DDA should not be concluded in Nairobi without a meaningful development package and no other round should be launched without addressing the core development issues that the DDA was mandated to address.’
‘It is our position as CTPD that in particular, the Singapore issues which include government procurement, competition policy, investment and any ‘new issues’ that would severely restrict space for implementing development-oriented policies must be ably addressed and concluded as there is a higher possibility that the developed countries will try to end the Doha Round in Nairobi without a credible development outcome and launch a new round that casts aside developing country concerns and this must not be allowed to happen.’
Mrs Mukelebai further urged the African leaders in general and the Zambian Government in particular to remember the commitments they made in the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development where countries pledged not to leave any one behind in the quest for development.
‘It is our position that this commitment must be demonstrated by our African leaders and our national Government at the 10th Ministerial conference by ensuring that development outcomes are a key output of the process. In a continent where poverty levels are rife, the use of trade for development must be top on the strategy list.’
She added, ‘It is our considered view as CTPD that, it will be impossible to follow the principles of the agenda 2030 and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without fair trade rules and other means of implementation. Our position is that fair trade rules will help to deliver benefits for the African economy and in addition to this, the agenda for value addition and industrialization.’
Mrs Mukelabai observed that agriculture is of critical importance to the economies of the majority of the African and Caribbean Pacific’s Group of States adding that some of the controversial issues around these negotiations might revolve around Overall Trade Distorting Domestic Support (OTDS), Export subsidies and food aid as well as addressing the issue of Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs).
‘There is a strong need for African ministers to be vigilant and take every opportunity to remind the proponents of a basic objective of Agriculture policy in Least Developed Countries (LDCs),’ she said.
Mrs Mukelabai added, ‘This will help to ensure food security, in particular because most LDCs have structural food deficit and are net food-importing countries. It is in this interest that African Ministers and national governments should press forth some flexibility regarding Agreements on Agriculture towards LDCs.’
‘The reduction commitment on agriculture policy in the MC10 negotiations should thus recognise fully the multifunctionality of agriculture in LDCs, including the challenge to sustain economic growth, poverty reduction as well as the need to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.’
