. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/137 
4 February 2010 
 (10-0584) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
SOUTH AFRICA 
 
Statement by Dr. Rob Davies
 
Minister of Trade and Industry  
   Our delegation wishes to thank the government  of Switzerland for hosting this Conference. 
 
 South Africa has participated in several of th e recent attempts to re-energize the Doha Round 
including in Bali, Paris, Delhi and in the various  Senior Officials meetings. Unfortunately none of 
these efforts has brought us close to a successful  developmental conclusi on of the Doha Round. 
Instead of prioritizing the advancement of outstanding reforms that are of urgent need to developing 
countries, like cotton and the LDC package, recen t engagements have been dominated by unfair 
demands placed on major developing countries to e nhance market access for the benefit of narrow 
commercial lobbies in parts of the developed world. 
  South Africa was not part of the agreements reached by some members in the July 2008 Package. As we have stated before our view is that even these texts are imbalanced and reflect too 
much accommodation of the sensitivities of develope d countries in agriculture, while demanding too 
much from developing countries in terms of reducing their applied industrial tariffs and policy space 
for industrial development.    Despite these reservations we have been willi ng to work to see whether, on the basis of the 
existing texts, the specific problems posed for SA and SACU, arising from the historic injustice of 
South Africa’s classification in the Uruguay Round as a "developed country", can be resolved in a fair 
manner.  
  After considerable effort we  have now won recognition of the reality that by implementing 
developed country commitments in the Uruguay Rou nd our average bound rate was reduced to almost 
half that of comparator countries. In addition the reality that South Africa is part of the Southern 
African Customs Union means that these cuts woul d also apply to three Small and Vulnerable 
Economies (SVEs) and an LDC that would not otherwise have to take formula cuts.  
  Despite our hard won recognition we still have  to establish whether or not our specific needs 
will be adequately accommodated before we are able to work on the basis of  the December texts. 
 
 As many previous speakers have said th e current recession is causing job losses in all 
countries around the world with developing countries suffering the major impact. South Africa which already had 23 percent unemployment before the re cession has lost an additional three quarters of a 
million jobs since then, creating further strains on the stability of a highly unequal society and nascent 
democracy.  
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   In recent weeks there has been much talk about  resisting backsliding and we agree with that. 
But we need to be clear about wh at we mean by backsliding. For us backsliding means retreating 
further from the development mandate that we all agreed to in Doha, and further imbalancing the 
proposed Doha outcome.  
 South Africa fully supports the position of the G20 and Africa Group amongst others in 
calling for an “early and successful conclusion” to th e Doha Round, with successful being defined in 
terms of its delivery on the Doha de velopment mandate. Let me say tho ugh that if we have to choose 
between the two, South Africa will opt for a successful developmental outcome.  
 The LDCs have kept reminding us that th e delay in the Round means no real further 
movement on issues of vital interest to them. We s upport their call for an Early Harvest on; Duty Free 
Quota Free Market Access, Cotton, a Services Waiver  for LDC preferences, and an ambitious Aid for 
Trade package.  
 The current economic crisis that began in  the developed world has impacted on the 
developing countries in the form of diminished in vestment flows as well as the massive job losses and 
increased levels of poverty already referred to.   The current bailout packages of several developed countries, while a necessary countercyclical measure, could also exacerbate existing imbalances. Certain programs have the 
potential to impact negatively on productive investme nts in the developing world. It is for this reason 
that South Africa has supported the proposals made by Argentina and other developing countries that the WTO monitor the impact of such measures on the trade and investment of developing countries.
  
  Finally, we would support the call made by a large number of countries to initiate a dialogue 
on the future reform of the WTO. For South Afri ca this must focus on strengthening the consensus 
principle and ensuring a more inclusive and transp arent approach to decision making. There also 
needs to be greater clarity within the WTO on what we understand by development and greater 
coherence between the WTO and the other multila teral institutions concerned with promoting 
development and decent work.  
 These reforms are essential to transform the WTO from an institution dominated by a 
mercantilist discourse towards one which becomes a global public good, or in the words of the 
Director General, Pascal Lamy, "more development friendly, more user-friendl y and for the benefit of 
all, rich and poor, large and small".  
 
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