TRAINING WORKSHOP ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT

Opening Statement

By Mr. Josué Dioné
Director, Sustainable Development Division (SDD), UN Economic Commission for Africa

05 June 2006
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Distinguished Experts,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this important training workshop on trade and environment prepared for English speaking African countries. The workshop is part of a project being implemented by ECA in collaboration with three other United Nations Regional Commissions, namely the Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific, the Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The project is also supported by UNEP and UNCTAD

Trade is a key tool for development for all countries. But trade can also derail sustainable development if countries do not position themselves strategically on the world stage of globalization. Trade, therefore, can only promote sustainable development if it maximizes economic, social and environmental benefits while minimizing the negative outcomes of these elements.

To ensure that trade contributes to the sustainable development of a country, the goods and services that are traded must be produced and consumed in a sustainable manner. But Africa’s trade pattern over the last four decades consists mainly of export of raw natural resources and natural resource-based outputs with very little processing and value addition. The obvious non-sustainable elements in this are land and environmental degradation. It is clear that trade in Africa has led to land degradation, pollution and natural resource erosion with their consequent generational inequity. There is also the sub-optimal utilization of resources and lack of income maximization from exports.

Distinguished Experts,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Globalization has worsened matters for Africa. Emerging issues like environmental considerations in trade have introduced another dimension of trade that could either be an opportunity or a hindrance to sustainable development. Such considerations that have impacts on Africa include environmental requirements and standards imposed by industrialized countries, trade and Multilateral Environmental Agreements, trade in hazardous and inferior quality goods, the potential of the environment as market access; capacity issues, networking, coordination and cooperation.

These issues require policy-makers who are capable of formulating coherent trade and environment policies in a manner that would increase market access for their products in industrialized markets, while enhancing environmental sustainability and promoting sustainable development.

This is why this workshop is timely and crucial because it aims at equipping decision makers with the tools necessary to build the policy coherence needed to:

i) Maximize positive economic benefits and minimize environmental pressures arising from trade expansion and liberalization;
ii) Manage the pressures on environmental sustainability arising from trade; and
iii) Promote sustainable development and poverty reduction.

In February this year, a regional workshop on trade and environment was held at ECA where experts from the environment and trade sectors of 30 African countries had the opportunity to share experiences and validated the findings of a regional study on trade and environment. That workshop recommended appropriate capacity building/strengthening programs for subsequent capacity building trainings.

Because of its importance, and to fully disperse lessons from this workshop across the continent, ECA and its collaborators will plan another one in Dakar in June 2006, for the benefit of French-speaking African countries. The training modules---Trade and environmental requirements; International negotiations and simulation; Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Trade Policies; as well as Trade liberalization of environmental goods and services --- will equip you to formulate better trade and environment policies and to participate effectively in trade and environment negotiations at the World Trade Organization.

Distinguished Experts,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I urge you to use this workshop as the beginning of a long-term collaboration amongst all participants aimed at continued experience-sharing and strengthened policy-making in trade and environment.

In conclusion, I wish to thank you, the resource persons, the United Nations Environment Program, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Economic and Social Commission for West Africa, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, Tufts University and all participants for responding to our call to assist Africa in its quest for sustainable development. Notwithstanding the heavy schedule of the next few days, I urge you to find time to enjoy this beautiful city of Addis Ababa. I wish you a fruitful deliberation as I declare this workshop open.

Thank you.