JOINT DELEGATION TO WTOTALKS IN CANCUN

Once again, Government will be taking a quadri-partite delegation to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in Cancun, Mexico.

The Department of Trade and Industry asked Nedlac to co-ordinate the business, labour and community delegates joining the team. The labour representatives are Tony Ehrenreich, Tanya van Meelis and Cunningham Ngcukana; the community representative is Sizwe Shezi, and the business representatives are Hans van der Merwe, Michael McDonald and Cleo Mtshali. Co-ordinator of the Trade and Industry Chamber, Joy Smith, will accompany the delegation.

Several discussions have taken place prior to the departure of the team in order to solidify South Africa's position. South Africa is committed to ensuring that development issues take centre stage on the WTO agenda.

This includes support for substantial market access for agricultural products from South Africa and other developing countries and improvements in trade conditions that would promote greater diversity of South African and African exports, including higher valueadded exports.

Also key on the agenda are issues pertaining to access by developing countries to affordable critical medication for diseases affecting them.

South Africa has played and continues to play an important role in mobilising developing countries and, guided by the New Partnership for Africa's Development, working with Africa in particular, to push for a development agenda to bring economic benefits to developing countries.