Let's enter into WTO agreements with dignified interdependence-Kufuor

Accra, Oct. 2, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has demanded that the African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) Group and the European Union (EU) partnership should look for new modalities, which would facilitate their respective entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements competitively, profitably and with dignified interdependence .. This comes amidst growing public resentment of the Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and member countries of the Group that seek to open up their markets to European goods, pending conclusion of the WTO talks.

President Kufuor said there should be in place fair international trade systems to make the economies of developing nations productive enough to transform the lives and empower their peoples to take advantage of the ever-increasing opportunities to help them to integrate meaningfully into the world and impact positively on their development. "The ACP wants a better life for all its peoples." About 2,000 delegates, including some Heads of State and Government of the 79 member-nation organisation as well as representatives of international organisations are attending the two-day Summit.

It is being held on the theme; "Promoting Human Security and Development." The EPAs, Climate change and the impact of the soaring food and crude oil prices are key issues dominating the discussions. President Kufuor noted that human security and development needed to focus especially on the youth, who should be nurtured into the mainstream of globalization with competence and self-confidence to feel an equal partner in the market.

He said it was therefore unfortunate that donor assistance to complement resources of developing countries for institutional building and human resource development to transform their nations had not been substantial enough. Another source of concern was that "aid" had tended to be given more as charity than an economic factor for development and for that matter had not been coordinated to make the requisite dent on their problems of poverty, unemployment, high levels of illiteracy and disease. These shortcomings, he said, combined to incapacitate the developing countries in their efforts to add value to their raw material production.

President Kufuor said to be fair, it should be acknowledged that over the past decade the donor community had shown a stirring conscience through the United Nations system, especially the multi-laterals like the World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) and the Group of Eight Industrialized Nations. This, he said, could be seen from the promise of 0.7 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product to Overseas Development Assistance. He however described the implementation as "scratchy", so far. President Kufuor, who ends his eight-year Presidency on January 7, next year shared his experience with the Group and said, respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law, coupled with free and fair elections were essential to good governance and the development of peace and security every where.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed El-Bashir, out-going President of the ACP, said their priority should be on how to collectively secure better trade deal to enable them to have better control of their resources.

There should be fair and balanced trade agreements that take into account the interest of the poor. He used the occasion to re-affirm his Government's commitment towards the implementation of his country's comprehensive peace agreement and peaceful settlement of the Darfur crisis through negotiations. A Representative of the EU Parliament, Mrs Kinnock, said the world could not turn its back or put the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on hold and therefore called for strong policies and effective choices by Governments.

The rich economies, she said must show steady and sustained political will to keep their promises to the developing countries. There was also the need for flexibility by the EU in its trade agreements with the ACP countries as well as firmness in their commitment to partnership based on mutual respect. Ghana takes over the Presidency of the Group for the next two years.