Commonwealth calls for greater trade access for developing countries
20 June 2005
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon will call for a strengthening of political will and concrete action to increase trade access for developing countries when he visits Geneva this week. On 22 June he meets with Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Klaus Schwab, Managing Director and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, on Wednesday 22 June 2005, during a two-day visit to Geneva.
"It is vital for Commonwealth countries to see real progress on the Doha Development Round. Developing countries need more aid and greater debt relief - and I congratulate those making recent declarations to increase aid flows and write off debt. But more than anything else, developing countries need trade access," said Mr McKinnon today, on the eve of his visit.
"Until industrialised countries take the bold decision of abolishing trade subsidies and opening their markets to poor countries, lofty declarations about fighting global poverty will remain empty."
Mr McKinnon's talks with Dr Panitchpakdi will take place shortly before the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland (UK) on 6-8 July 2005. Their meeting will focus on the need for political impetus to the Doha Round negotiations. Mr McKinnon will also discuss capacity building for trade policy formulation, negotiation and implementation, and the special needs of small states.
In his meeting with Mr Schwab, the Secretary-General is expected to discuss trade issues, sustainable development and progress towards the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
"The bottom line is this: agricultural subsidies don't only cost money. They also cost lives. Every failure to reach a deal results in millions more people going without food every day. With each day wasted on wrangling and squabbling, thousands of people die. A breakthrough on trade is not only desirable, it's essential. The stability of our world depends on it."
Mr McKinnon will also meet with Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights. Their discussions will touch on specific areas of UN co-operation, notably treaty ratification, strengthening of national human rights mechanisms and education for young people. The 2001 Commonwealth Best Practice Guidelines on National Human Rights Institutions has been used by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to set up human rights commissions in both Commonwealth and non-member countries.
"As we develop programmes to support our commitment to the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights, we will continue to collaborate and co-operate with other inter- governmental organisations as well as civil society organisations working in the field of human rights. We value our interaction with the UN human rights system and that of regional organisations with similar objectives because they compliment the work we do," said the Secretary-General.
Mr McKinnon will address Commonwealth Ambassadors to the WTO at an event hosted by Ambassador Charles Ntwaagae of Botswana, Chairman of the Commonwealth Developing Country Ambassadors Group.
Note to Editors:
The G8 comprises eight of the world's leading industrialised nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States of America.
For media enquiries, please contact Lainy Malkani on +44 07730 900020
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