NEDLAC+Dec+16+statement+from+Hong+Kong.



=**PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED FROM Hong Kong by the NATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR ADVISORY COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA**=


 * 16 DECEMBER 2005**

NEDLAC is a statutory body, comprising representatives of Business, Civil Society, Government and Labour, established by South Africa to engage Government on socioeconomic issues. Multilateral and bilateral trade agreements are all considered in this forum.

As a basis for consideration of trade agreements, NEDLAC has agreed to consider any trade agreement against the objectives of achieving a level of economic growth and development that will lead to a halving of unemployment by 2014 and alleviation of poverty. Furthermore, the Trade Policy Framework Agreement, agreed in NEDLAC.

Representatives of the NEDLAC constituencies came to Hong Kong with hope that the enormous task that faced all delegations to produce an outcome that would contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

For the African continent in particular, the time to reach agreement is now. The cost of further entrenching poverty and underdevelopment is one that all nations of the world cannot afford.

We recognize the importance of global governance structures in facilitating the conclusion of global commitments and ensuring their subsequent implementation, but as the negotiation process has unfolded in Hong Kong, it is becoming difficult to maintain confidence in an institution, of which so many nations are part, that seems unable to promote the participation of all trade ministers to fulfill the expectations of their people.

The outcome must secure real economic development, which will reverse the grinding poverty that remains entrenched in so many countries.

For us, a successful outcome to this Conference must include


 * agreement on the three main elements of agriculture,


 * an agreement on NAMA that provides the greatest flexibility that reflects the different capacities and levels of industrial development in countries and the need for developing countries to industrialise and build complete value chains, and that recognises that lowering of tariffs alone does not achieve market access; the issue of technical barriers must be addressed in a much more aggressive manner

Progress on these two areas must proceed in tandem, the NAMA issue cannot be solved without a sound deal on agriculture.

As far as services are concerned, the key issue of policy space and capacity to adapt within a policy space needs to be recognized. There can be no question of opening access to services markets without a clear understanding of the need to meet basic needs in many of the service areas.

We urge negotiators to continue to stand firm on the need to evaluate the outcomes of these negotiations against the development objectives as contained in the Millennium Development Goals.

We call on the South African community back home to raise the concerns publicly on the stance taken by the European Union and the United States and for the social partners to send letters of concern to those Embassies in South Africa.

Issued by the NEDLAC constituencies, (Labour, Business and Organised Community) currently participating in the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong as part of the South African Delegation.