Brainstorming Meeting Adopts Communiqué Committing Africa to Serious Negotiations
By Andrew Allimadi, Communication Officer, ECA
01 December 2004

The high-level brainstorming meeting of African trade negotiators and officials held in Tunis, Tunisia concluded on 26 November with the adoption of a strong and positive communiqué by participants. The communiqué "underscored Africa's commitment to continue to engage fully and actively in the negotiations aimed at achieving a pro-development outcome from the Doha Round." It reiterated the commitment made by WTO Member states to make the Doha Round of talks a development round, and said the success of the round will "measured by the seriousness with which it addresses the development issues and the potential real positive developmental gains that will result for African countries."

The communiqué was the result of two days of intense discussions at which proposals emerging from the July Package were thoroughly scrutinized. Participants also benefited from recommendations made by the Ad-Hoc Expert Group Meeting on Market Access, which took place prior to the brainstorming on 22 - 23 November. A full copy of the Communiqué is available of our website.

The meeting was formally closed the Secretary of Foreign Affaires of Tunisia, Mr Hatem Ben Salem. He thanked ECA and its collaborating partners for all their work in seeking Africa's integration into the global economy. He said it was of primary importance for all stakeholders to make sure that WTO trade talks take consideration of African challenges, hence contribute to attaining the Millennium Development Goals. He said the meeting would help Africa understand the challenges ahead and design effective scenario for negotiations in the next phase of the WTO talks. "Multilateral trade liberalization must grant African countries effective and predictable market access for goods and services, including agriculture, textiles, manufactures, or it will further delay Africa's development,' he said. He further highlighted the importance on inter-African trade and cooperation, and said Tunisia would continue to strengthen its trading relations with other African countries.

The brainstorming was also attended by the Executive Secretary Mr. K.Y.Amoako, the minister of Trade and Handicrafts of the republic of Tunisia, Mr. Mondher Zenaidi, Mr. Modibo Toure, UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia; Mr. Alberto Campeas, director of the WTO's development division; and Mr. Ousmane Kane, vice president of the African Development Bank. Some 150 Ambassadors, trade negotiators and other experts attended the meeting.