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• ‘Redressing the Balance’ -- end of year message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General

‘Redressing the Balance’ -- end of year message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General

22 January 2004

" The Doha trade round offered hope that some of the asymmetries of the international trade system would be corrected."

In his end-of-year message, issued on 30 December 2003, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon highlighted the Commonwealth’s efforts to assist member countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. He also summarised some of the outcomes of the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Abuja, Nigeria.

“This Summit saw significant outcomes for the Commonwealth as a whole. In particular, it strengthened the role our organisation can play in redressing the balance between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ and ensuring more progress is made on the path towards democracy and development,” Mr McKinnon said.

“Trade is one of the most effective tools against poverty. But developing countries are often prevented from accessing rich countries’ markets and trading their way into sustainable growth. When it costs a US farmer twice more to produce a bag of rice than it does, say, a farmer in Guyana, and yet the American farmer is able to sell his rice at a lower price, you know there is something wrong. How can developing countries compete when the largest economies -- the United States, the European Union and Japan -- spend US$1 billion a day in subsidies and dump commodities at a fraction of what they cost to grow?

“But agricultural subsidies are only part of the story. Trade barriers also prevent poor countries to make the most of their natural resources.

“The Doha trade round offered hope that some of the asymmetries of the international trade system would be corrected. The failure of the Cancún trade talks was a disappointment for everyone -- but the damage inflicted is not irreversible. The Commonwealth is trying to put the trade talks back on track. A significant development in Abuja was the decision made by Commonwealth leaders to dispatch a ministerial mission to key capitals to call on major players and ‘to urge them to negotiate positively and flexibly to reinvigorate the Doha Round and to move expeditiously to a final agreement.’

“Another important decision reached at CHOGM was the agreement on guidelines for implementing the Commonwealth’s fundamental values by all branches of government. These principles -- known as the ‘Latimer House Guidelines’ -- set out a framework for responsibility, transparency and accountability in the three branches of government -- Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary. This achievement illustrates how Commonwealth civil society can have a key impact on decisions made by Heads of Government. Commonwealth leaders also addressed the issue of corruption and called for enhanced mutual co-operation in the repatriation of illegally acquired public funds and assets.

“On terrorism, too, a great deal has been achieved. Over the past two years, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been developing model legislation and implementation kits to assist member countries -- particularly small states -- with the adoption of appropriate counter-terrorism measures. At their Meeting in Abuja, Commonwealth leaders decided that this work should continue and that co-operation between member states should be reinforced.

“One of the central issues leaders discussed in Abuja was the interdependence between democracy and development. In the Aso Rock Declaration, issued at the close of the meeting, Commonwealth leaders recognised that ‘while development and democracy are goals each in its own right, they must be mutually reinforcing, with a clear “democratic dividend”, in terms of delivering tangible benefits to people. We are convinced that broad-based prosperity creates the stability conducive to the promotion of democracy; and that strong democratic institutions better promote development.’ Commonwealth leaders recognised the critical role which women play in development and ‘resolved to ensure that development processes empower women to play that full role.’ They also emphasised the need to reinforce the fundamental components of democracy, including an independent judiciary, a transparent public accounts system as well as mechanisms for the protection of human rights and the right to information.

“The Abuja CHOGM was also an opportunity to benefit from the energy and contributions of the Commonwealth civil society community. Indeed, the People’s Forum demonstrated how our civil society network can, through the knowledge and expertise it features, strengthen partnerships and co-operation among the people of the Commonwealth. The depth and breadth of our Commonwealth civil society network is the envy of international organisations everywhere.”