High-Level Brainstorming Meeting Opens in Tunisia
By Andrew Allimadi, Communication Officer, ECA
25 November 2004

The Minister of Trade and Handicrafts of the Republic of Tunisia, Mr. Mondher Zenaidi today opened the high-level brainstorming meeting of African trade negotiators and officials taking place in Tunis, Tunisia. In his opening address to the meeting, Mr. Zenaidi thanked ECA for taking the initiative to organize the brainstorming, in collaboration with UNDP, African Development Bank, African Union and other partners. He said the brainstorming meeting was a clear indication that African countries were keen to continue global trade talks in order to increase global prosperity. He called for the African negotiators to use this current brainstorming meeting to refine its positions and strategies to ensure that Africa benefits from the crucial post-July framework stage of the negotiations to ensure that the continent makes positive gains. He stressed Tunisia's commitment to more trade and regional integration in Africa, stating that the country would soon conclude a trade agreement with UMA. He concluded by reaffirming his country's support African trade negotiators.

In his opening remarks, Mr. K.Y.Amoako, the executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, welcomed the adoption of the WTO July Package as a useful step in reviving the Doha Round of trade negotiations. However, he cautioned that this was not the time for African negotiators to relax, as some key concerns expressed by developing countries did not make it into the final text. "Given these circumstances, it is imperative that African countries intensify their efforts and devote their energies during the "modalities stage of the negotiations" to ensure that their concerns are reflected in the modalities to be agreed upon and more importantly in the "final outcome" of the Doha Development Agenda", he said. He concluded by pledging ECA's continued support to African countries with technical assistance and capacity building programmes to ensure effective participation in trade negotiations. He said he looked forward to the conclusions of the brainstorming, which would also inform the work of the Commission for Africa established by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, of which Amoako is one of the Commissioners.

Other distinguished guests who made welcoming remarks included Mr. Modibo Toure from UNDP; Ambassador Nwagwu, the coordinator of African trade negotiators based in Geneva; Mr. Alberto Campeas, director of the WTO's development division; and Mr. Ousmane Kane, vice president of the African development Bank. All speakers stressed the importance of the July package for re-establishing momentum of the Doha talks and called on African countries to seize the opportunity and work hard to improve on an imperfect package.

The meeting will consider recommendations by experts on trade issues, who also met in Tunisia on 21-22 on this month.

Click here to visit the workshop website.