December 16, 2005, Hong Kong, Press Release
There have been more troubles for the North as Southern countries went one step ahead by deciding to better coordinate and unite their efforts in order to develop a common approach to issues of interest of developing countries, especially the least developed countries (LDCs).
“Coming of the G-20, the G-33, the LDCs, the African Group, the Small Economies and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group on a single platform is a befitting reply to the developed countries’ dirty ploy to break their hard earned unity”, says CUTS-International, a leading research and advocacy group of the South.
Today, the continued efforts by India and Brazil bore fruit, when for the first time in the history of the WTO, a Ministerial level meeting was held between these major alliances of developing countries. The Groups pledged to work for the removal of distortions in the agriculture trade market, which inhibit the export growth of developing countries.
This masterstroke by G-20 and G-90, comprising of 110 countries, blunted the evil design of the two powerful trading giants, the US and the EU, who have been from day one trying to lure LDCs with carrots like “Aid-for-Trade” and duty and quota free market access. The LDCs have also realised that the real and sustainable gains would come from meaningful market access and not from such hollow promises.
For more information please contact:
citee@cuts.org, cuts@cuts.org