South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, will lead the country’s delegation to the upcoming eighth session of the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference (MC8) that will be held in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference will be held this week from 15-17 December 2011.
The delegation will include Members of Parliament, government, labour, business and community.
Minister Davies has emphasised that South Africa wants the developmental mandate to remain central on the table at the session. He says that both African countries and Brics members share the view that development issues are fundamental.
“There is consensus among developing nations in Africa, as well among Brazil, Russia, India and China, that the development agenda as agreed on during the 2001 Doha meeting, must not be compromised in favour of developed countries’ interests”, he said.
The developmental agenda was agreed during talks in Doha in 2001. It relates to issues important to developing countries like reforming trade rules for agriculture, and duty-free, quota-free access for the least-developed countries (LDCs) in the global trading regime.
Davies added that South Africa’s membership of the Brics will enhance the countries participation.
For interviews:
Mamosa Dikeledi
Cell: 083 584 6856
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1650
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
