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• Trade essential tool in fight against poverty -- Mugasha

Trade essential tool in fight against poverty -- Mugasha

27 April 2007

Commonwealth scans the development landscape for areas where orthodox approaches are ineffective or where there are public policy failures or gaps and to seek remedial approaches

Trade is an essential tool in helping developing countries achieve Millennium Development Goals centred on reducing poverty, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Florence Mugasha has stated.

Mrs Mugasha told High Commissioners and trade officials attending a meeting on trade policy activities of the Commonwealth Secretariat held in London, on 26 April 2007: “Trade is one of the most indispensable tools to fostering development.”

The meeting reviewed the Secretariat’s role in shaping trade policies, facilitated an exchange of views, and created an understanding of how key events influence its programmes on multilateral, regional and bilateral economic and trade issues.

“The rapid pace of globalisation and changes in the global trading system present new opportunities and challenges for our developing country members,” Mrs Mugasha commented.

She said the Commonwealth’s work included facilitating preparations for international investment negotiations and conducting analytical studies on a variety of trade policy issues that can assist member governments in their development of appropriate policies.

“The ultimate goal is to assist the countries to benefit from the international trading system, through enhancing their capacity and trade competitiveness,” she added.

During the meeting, participants also discussed a report on ‘Trade for development -- a role for the Commonwealth’. This report is expected to be presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda later this year.

Edwin Laurent, Head of International Trade and Regional Co-operation Section at the Secretariat, emphasised that “to achieve sustainable development tremendous value can be obtained from working with private sectors and civil societies. It is important to have member countries move forward to be competitive and able to meet the challenges.

“Our programmes goal is also to support growth policies which aim to enhance the ability of developing member countries, particularly small states and least developed countries to function satisfactorily in formulating and implementing appropriate policies and effectively negotiating at regional and multilateral levels to secure their interests.”

The Secretariat’s Economic Affairs Division has published several books on trade. ‘Navigating New Waters’ -- a reader examining ACP-EU trade negotiations -- was among those launched at the meeting.