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Millennium Campaign calls for coherent
action on trade imbalances
By Maxwell Awumah, GNA Special Correspondent, Crans-Montana,
Switzerland
Geneva, Sept. 21, GNA – Ms Eveline Herfkens, Executive
Coordinator of the Millennium Campaign, has called for a
coherent global collaborative action to effectively deal
with trade imbalances suffered by developing countries.
Addressing the maiden Geneva Trade and Development Forum at
Crans-
Montana on Wednesday, Ms
Herfkens bemoaned the current situation where developing
countries are left in fragmented negotiating processes in
isolated and autistic forms.
“It is time to make trade policies part of the broader
relationship, not just with other countries, but, more
importantly of broader agenda of challenges of global
poverty, the environment and security,” she said.
The four-day forum was organized on the theme: “Inclusive
Trade Globalization”.
The Millennium Campaign is an initiative by the United
Nations to inform and encourage people’s involvement and
action for the realization of the Millennium Development
Goals that will end extreme poverty across the globe.
The Forum, an initiative of Ideas Centre, a Non-Governmental
Organization, is a neutral and focused platform dedicated to
helping low-income countries to integrate into the world
trading system, in a way that would support the national
poverty reduction and economic development efforts of
developing countries.
Ms Herfkens said given the current global challenges, it was
imperative to promote inclusive sustainable growth,
employment and prosperity for all, than the global trade
systems which impeded the prospects of poor and developing
countries.
She entreated major actors, especially citizens of developed
countries to hold their governments to accounts for the
lofty and broken promises they continue to make, forgetting
that the world faces multiple daunting challenges in the
area of climate change, terrorism, food crisis, water and
fuel crises and economic downturn.
“I wholeheartedly agree that developed countries consume
African strawberries at Christmas as it would support
millions of livelihoods in poor countries, which have few
other high-value added exports.”
She said it was time to educate public opinion, increase
taxpayers and consumer awareness of the costs and perils of
present protectionism, aimed at curtailing policies to end
vested interest and lobbies dominating the trade policy
globally.
Mr Jean-Michel Cina, President, Council of State of Valais
Region, said the GTDF sought to provide an enduring platform
for reflection, innovation, debate and dialogue.
He commended the organizers for their resolve and hoped that
the corporate expectation of the forum would be realized
towards addressing the trade imbalances brought about by
international trade.
The forum is being attended by governments and
representatives of international organizations, Civil
Society groupings, academia, as well as private sector
players from 45 developing countries.
GNA
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