WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/C/11 
22 July 2008 
 (08-3538) 
Trade Negotiations Committee Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
DECLARATION OF THE AFRICAN GROUP ON 
THE WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL  
GENEVA, 20 JULY 2008  
 
 The following communication, dated 22 July 2008, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Côte d'Ivoire. 
_______________ 
 
 
DECLARATION OF THE AFRICAN GROUP ON 
THE WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL  
GENEVA, 20 JULY 2008  
 
 A Ministerial coordination meeting of the African Group on the World Trade Organisation 
(WTO) was held on July 20th 2008, in Geneva, under the leadership of the Honourable UHURU 
KENYATTA, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade of Kenya.  
 
 The meeting was graced with the participation of their Excellencies:  
- Mr Ramakrishna SITHANEN, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and 
Economic Development of Mauritius; 
- Mr Mamadou SANOU, Minister of Trade, Ente rprises and Handicrafts of Burkina Faso; 
- Mr MBarga ATANGANA Luc Magloire, Minister of Trade of Cameroun; 
- Mr RACHEED Mohamed RACHEED, Minister of Trade and Industry of Egypt; 
- Mr Paul BIYOGHE MBA, Minister of Trade of Gabon; 
- Mr Popane LEBESA, Minister of Trade of Lesotho; 
- Mr Mandisi MPAHLWA, Minister of Trade and Industry of South Africa; 
- Madame Lulama XINGWANA, Minister of Agriculture of South Africa; 
- Mr Rob DAVIES, Vice-Minister of Trade and Industry of South Africa. 
 
 Following their deliberations, in the presence of African Ambassadors, High-ranking officials 
and Experts, the Ministers have issued the following summary: 
 
 We, African Ministers of Trade and High -ranking officials, gathered in Geneva, on 
20 July 2008, in plenary session, under the auspices  of the Permanent Delegation of the African 
Union in Geneva, in order to examine the progress of the Doha Development Agenda Negotiations, in 
prelude to the WTO Ministerial Conference to be held from 21 July 2008 in Geneva: 
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   Reaffirm the earlier positions and concerns as set out in the Addis-Ababa Ministerial 
Declaration (1 to 3 April 2008), in the Joint Declar ation of the African and South American Ministers 
of Trade and in the Marrakech Plan of Acti on (17-19 June 2008), that constitutes a landmark 
achievement in bringing together Africa and south America with a view to strengthening South-South 
cooperation, as well as the Decision of the last Su mmit of Heads of State and Government of the 
African Union in Charm-el-sheikh, Egypt of 24 June-1 July 2008. 
  Considering the current economic context characterised by the soaring prices of energetic raw materials, in particular the continuous rise in the price of agricultural products with a definite impact 
on the vital interests of the African continent, reaffi rm the need to address the concerns of the African 
Group in the so-called Doha Ne gotiation Development round. 
  Re-emphasising that a satisfactory conclusion of  the Doha development Agenda is central in 
order to advance the commercial and development prospects of African countries and that it is a 
priority towards the achievement of the Millenni um Development Goals, in particular poverty 
alleviation in our countries. 
  Recollecting the demands for unity and solidarity within the African Group at WTO, in order for the negotiations to reach a balanced, just and ambitious outcome bringing about sustainable 
development in Africa, thus allowing African count ries to fully participate in the Multilateral Trade 
System, including the full modalities genuinely mainstreaming development. 
 
Declare the following:  
I. AGRICULTURE: 
• The Ministers reaffirm their position on the elim ination of tariff and non-tariff barriers and 
trade-distorting measures.  
• On the issue of banana , the African Ministers don’t object to the good offices mission of the 
WTO Director General whilst taking note of the r esults he achieved.  However, they want this 
offer to be substantially reviewed and impr oved, taking the interests of banana-producer 
African countries into due consideration whilst remaining consistent with the development 
objectives of the Doha Round.  In addition, the Ministers reaffirm the need for the banana 
issue to be specifically addressed outside of th e modalities of agriculture, in order to reach a 
just and balanced outcome. 
 
• On preferences, with a view to mainstreaming development in the Doha Round , the 
Ministers call for the issue of long-standing preference erosion to be resolved by means of a trade solution, through an implementation period of at least 10 years and a firm commitment 
in terms of technical assistance during the transition period.  
 
• On cotton, the African Ministers endorse the proposals of the countries of the  Sectoral 
Initiative in favour of Cotton (C4) supported by the other Groups (ACP, LDC, G20) and 
reproduced in the draft modalities of the Presi dent of the Committee on Agriculture.  They 
recall that the July 2004 Framework Agreemen t and the decision of Hong Kong of December 
2005 granted a mandate according to wh ich the cotton issue must be addressed ambitiously, 
expeditiously and specifically .  The reduction of subsidies granted to cotton must be more 
ambitious than that envisaged for agriculture.  The Ministers strongly desire that this meeting 
allow finding a compromise on cotton in order to  facilitate the conclusion of the Doha Round 
by the end of 2008, by virtue of the Single Undertaking principle.  TN/C/11 
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  II. MARKET ACCESS FOR NON-AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS (NAMA) 
 
 The Ministers are concerned by the impact of the application of the Swiss Tariff-cut Formula 
on the members of the African Group and recall that the consequences of applying this formula on the 
specific situation of LDC and the Small Vulner able Economies (SVE) within Customs Unions 
constitute a hindrance to the efforts of regional and sub-regional integration.  
  Moreover, the Ministers oppose all attempts to restrict the flexibilities granted to developing 
countries that will be applying the Swiss formula, in cluding by means of an extensive interpretation of 
the anti-concentration clause that would go beyond the Hong Kong mandate and the July Framework. 
 
 The African Ministers emphasise that the sectoral initiatives  must be established on a 
voluntary, non-mandatory basis; they should neither be linked to the tariff cut formula nor have any 
impact on products that are enjoying tariff preference.  
 The Ministers emphasise  the need to resolve non-reciprocal preferences  in a significant 
manner , both in terms of product coverage and the im plementation period.  They also request that 
products identified as vulnerable to preference er osion be excluded from sectoral initiatives.  
  The Ministers commend the positive commitment  efforts aiming at reaching a just and 
equitable outcome for paragraph 6 countries , hinging upon a proposal for commitment based on a 
two (2)-band approach and a target average.  
 
III. TRADE-RELATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (TRIPS)  
 The amendment of the TRIPS Agreemen t pertaining to the Convention on 
Biodiversity (CBD) is still high on the agenda of the African Group.  The Ministers underscore the 
need to achieve concrete results on this issue, which is still of utmost importance to the African 
continent.    Moreover, the Ministers attach particular importance to the developmental aspect of the 
negotiations on geographic indications, in cluding extension and registration.  
 IV. SERVICES 
 The Ministers welcome with interest the new te xt of the President of the Special Session on 
services, issued on 17 July 2008.  However, they k eep a close watch on the continuing discussions on 
issues of interest to the African Group, in particul ar those pertaining to the special and differential 
treatment and their conclusion before the end of  the negotiations.  The Ministers welcome the 
Signalling Conference along with its objectives appertaining to the definition of modalities on 
services.  
V. RULES 
 The Ministers reaffirm the position of the A frican group set out in the joint ACP proposal on 
special and differential treatment and technical assistance on corrective measures, amending Article 
15 of the Anti-Dumping Agreement.  It is essential fo r special and differential treatment to be fully 
reflected in the Anti-Dumping Agreement so as to en sure flexibility in its application to developing 
countries.   TN/C/11 
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   The Ministers of the African Group underline th e need for a just and balanced agreement on 
fisheries, taking the issues of subsidies, small-scal e fishing and the African fishing industry into due 
consideration.  
VI. ACCESSION 
 The African Ministers reaffirm their full solidarity with African countries currently 
negotiating their accession to the WTO and call u pon developed members to facilitate the accession 
process of developing countries, in particular Least Developed Countries (LDC) that should not be 
compelled to make concessions beyond WTO rul es and their respective level of development. 
 
 The African Ministers congratulate the group of African Ambassadors and Experts operating 
within the coordination, at the WTO, for their de dication and readiness in defending the interests of 
Africa.    The African Ministers express their deep appr eciation to the Permanent Delegation of the 
African Union in Geneva for its actions in fa vour of the Coordination of the African Group in 
Geneva. 
 
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