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We, bishops from Eastern and
Southern Africa; faithful to our calling to
minister to the Lord’s people and to preach
salvation and repentance; join farmers,
workers, traders and organisations of the
civil society in calling for justice in
international trade as we mark the Global
Week of Action.
The Uruguay Round Agreements
and the establishment of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) were proclaimed as means
of enhancing the creation of global wealth
and prosperity of all people in all Member
states. In reality, however, the WTO regime
has contributed to the concentration of
wealth in the hands of the rich few;
increasing poverty for the majority of the
world’s population; and unsustainable
patterns of production and consumption. This
system has continued to benefit
trans-national corporations at the expense
of national economies and the poor in
Africa. We feel that the WTO system, rules
and procedures should be more democratic,
transparent and accountable.
Resumption
of the Doha Agenda
Trade is important in addressing poverty.
However Africa has not reaped its fair
entitlement. Africa’s share of the world
merchandise exports was only 2.5 per cent in
2000 – down from 6.3% in 1980. We cautiously
welcome the recent resumption of
negotiations in Geneva but are concerned
that the rich and powerful countries managed
only to entrench their agenda at expense of
any tangible movement in areas of importance
to Africa.
Agriculture
More than 72 per cent of or people derive
their livelihood from agriculture-related
activities. Yet developed countries have
continued to increase domestic support for
their farmers, leading to the dumping of
cheap agricultural goods on our markets.
While more than two-thirds of our people
live on less than US$ 1 a day, cows in
Europe and Japan receive in the region of
US$ 2 and US$ 7 respectively in subsidies
daily. High tariff peaks and tariff
escalation also limit our products’ access
to these countries’ markets.
We believe and urge that in
developing countries, food production and
policies to protect small-scale farmers
should be exempted from the disciplines of
the Agreement on agriculture’s on import
liberalisation, domestic support and
subsidies.
Industrial Tariffs
We note with concern that the Doha Agenda
launched negotiations on Market Access for
non-agricultural products. The negotiations
currently focus on overall tariff
reductions. We fear that this would lead to
further de-industrialisation. Moreover,
tariffs on industrial products constitute a
significant part of the revenue for our
countries.
For instance, about 15% of
Kenya’s annual revenue accrue from import
duties. Further tariff cuts will seriously
undermine government’s ability to attain the
Millennium Development Goals.
Agreement
on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS)
The agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS) sets minimum
standards for the protection of intellectual
property. We are concerned that this
agreement has been used by developed
countries to erect a wall of protectionism
over technologies that our countries need
for development, seeds, genes and medicines.
We further note that while at the Doha
meeting a special declaration was adopted to
stress that TRIPS should not prevent members
from taking measures to protect public
health, it did not resolve how countries
with no or insufficient pharmaceutical
manufacturing capacity will be able to make
use of compulsory licensing. Article 27.3(b)
of the TRIPS agreement allows the patenting
of life forms. This is unacceptable as it
runs counter to God’s creation.
General Agreement on Trade in
Services
We are also concerned that the ongoing
negotiations on the General Agreement on
Trade in Services (GATS) aim at making each
service sector critical to human welfare and
survival subject to liberalisation and
commercialisation. We therefore call for a
moratorium on GATS negotiations pending
independent impact assessment.
Special and Differential
Treatment
Special and Differential Treatment (S&D) is
a right firmly established in the
Multilateral Trading System (MTS) to correct
the imbalances of the system, which works
against poor countries. We note with dismay
that there have been increasing pressures
since the Uruguay Round to limit the
significance and scope of this right. This
right must be reasserted as it is not a
favour.
Economic Partnership
Agreements
We are concerned that the on-going
negotiations of the Economic Partnership
Agreements (EPAs) disregards S&D principle
and imposes reciprocity in application of
trade preferences, tries to impose the
Singapore Issues on ACP countries and is
overly dictated by the European Commission.
We, therefore, call upon our
governments to suspend further negotiations
until the EC agrees to a binding agreement
on Phase I of the negotiations; studies on
the impacts of EPA proposals have been
conducted; and an acceptable programme for
adjustment to liberalised regime developed
and mutually agreed upon
Reform of the WTO System
We are deeply concerned at the lack of
transparency and democracy in the WTO system
and processes – its rule-making,
negotiations, monitoring and
dispute-settlement.
Finally, we support Kenya and
the rest of Africa in demanding fairness in
the international trade and appeal to
religious and secular civil society leaders
in developed countries to continue joining
us with solidarity and campaign against
injustices in the current multilateral
trading system, EPAs, and for review and
reform of the WTO system and agreements.
Dated in Nairobi this
Tuesday, 12th April 2005
Signed:
1. Bishop Gideon Ireri (Anglican, Kenya)
2. Archbishop Therese Mpundu (Catholic,
Zambia)
3. Bishop Joseph Zuza (Catholic, Malawi)
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