Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies has called on fellow Trade Ministers and experts attending the ninth World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference, in Bali, Indonesia, this week, to recommit themselves to the Doha Development Agenda.

He reminded the Ministerial Conference that the Doha Round was launched with an explicit commitment to place the needs and interests of developing countries at the heart of its work programme and that its development mandate remained valid today.

The Minister pointed out that South Africa was concerned that the “least developed country- (LDC-) plus” approach that was the original basis for launching the talks had been inverted and replaced by a “trade facilitation-plus” approach.

According to him, South Africa was worried that WTO members have not been able to establish an adequate balance between the three pillars that have made up the Bali Package, namely development and LDC issues; agricultural issues; and trade facilitation.

“The LDC pillar remains weak, again postponing the legitimate demands of the poorest countries with uncertain promises of delivery in the future. The agriculture pillar contains nothing more than [so-called] 'best endeavour' on the critical issues of export subsidies and an ‘opt out’ clause for an important member on the issue of tariff rate quotas.

“The proposed trade facilitation text is expansive and contains many new obligations for most developing countries, which will disproportionately bear the burden of implementation. There is also no certainty that the capacity building and assistance that would be necessary for implementation would be forthcoming,” said Davies.
 
He emphasised that securing an appropriate balance in the outcome of the negotiations was fundamental to the sustainability of the multilateral trading system and the future of the WTO.

“For this reason, South Africa proposes that this Ministerial Conference focus its efforts not just on concluding the so-called Bali Package, but also on providing political guidance on the development of a post-Bali work programme.

“This programme should prioritise turning the best endeavour undertakings that we have in the draft package on LDC issues and agriculture into effective, time-bound programmes of delivery. We should also reaffirm the fundamental principle of special and differential treatment in favour of developing countries,” stated Davies.