“We are in Cairo to achieve a number of important strategic goals, for our country and our continent in the context of the Doha Development Round, strengthening intra-African trade and consolidating and deepening the economic and political relations with our brothers and sisters in Africa”, Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said in Cairo last week.
The South African Minister attended the informal African World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial which was organised and hosted by the Egyptian government to prepare for the regular World Trade Organisation ministerial conference to be held in Geneva at the end of this month. She confirmed that none of these objectives would be achieved through a laissez faire attitude, dogged inflexibility or a winner takes all position by any of the members of the World Trade Organisation.
She said that meant everyone had to approach the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Round of trade negotiations with a commitment to work hard for an agreement that is fair, just and equitable. “It doesn’t help the development agenda of the developing countries, generally, and Africa in particular if we are divided over whether we want the round to be concluded speedily or fairly in terms of its developmental content”, she said.
It was thus heartening that the final communiqué adopted at the end of the meeting. Another, even more critical, position which was promoted by South Africa, among others, and on which consensus was reached was the fact that agriculture remains the engine room of the negotiations. Minister Joemat-Pettersson agreed that even though South Africa did not stand a lot to gain in this regard, it was crucial that African farmers, in particular in the least developed countries, small and vulnerable economies and land locked countries, get as much benefit from the conclusion of this round than what the developed countries are demanding from themselves.
“This round, and the current text, which we support, does not reflect the best possible scenario for developing countries, we are bending over backwards to accommodate the richer countries and they are simply looking for the best deals for their own farmers”, she exclaimed.
She added that the challenges the Doha Round were facing provided Africa with an opportunity to cross the Rubicon, to mitigate the differences that weaken it, to build an unprecedented unity of purpose and to demand, from a position of strength in numbers, a more just global trade regime for African farmers, less trade distorting subsidies by the developed and greater market access for African agricultural products.
She also paid a courtesy call to her Egyptian counterpart, Minister for Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Amen Abaza, where a foundation was laid for increased agricultural trade, research and technological exchanges and closer cooperation on the use of renewable sources of energy between the two countries.
Minister Joemat-Pettersson informed the Egyptian Minister that there are a number of non-tariff trade barriers that exist between the two countries that can easily be resolved by genuine political will.
“I am quite happy with the outcome of the meeting with Minister Abaza, because he agreed to investigate why the ban on South Africa boned beef products and livestock had not been lifted despite this country’s compliance with Egyptian demands”, the Minister said.
She concluded that there were a number of exciting opportunities for mutual economic gain between South Africa and Egypt because trade volumes are low, the increase in trade slow and the planting and harvesting seasons are complementary rather than competitive. It was up to South Africa farmers to tap into the exciting opportunities we are identifying to form the core of a draft memorandum of understanding we will be signing with Egypt in the near future, she concluded.
For further information contact:
Steve Galane
Cell: 083 635 7346
Tel: 012 319 7312
E-mail: DAIS@daff.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
2 November 2009
