SEATINI Bulletin: SEATINI brings out a fortnightly Bulletin that raises issues relating to trade negotiations and matters of broader concern that impact on policy making on sustainable development of the African continent.

IN THIS ISSUE

The main articles are:

1. Participants at FfD Review Conference call for fundamental reform of Global Financial Institutions.
2. Development Trade Round is a Red Herring - Says Aldo Caliari.
3. Africa Demands Greater Voice And Representation In The International Financial Institutions And In Un Security Council.
4. Impact Of The Global Financial Crisis In East Africa.
5. Editorial – Use Forthcoming UN Conference on Economic and Financial Crisis to Press for Fundamental Reforms of International Financial System......Download[PDF]

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Issue5_Vol 11:

1. Ghana President Calls for Removal of the Systematic Indignities of Permanent Aid.
2. Effective Policies are needed for Agricultural and manufacturing Sectors to Remove Constraints to Production.
3. The Destruction of African Agriculture.
4. EPA Framework Agreement must be Reviewed and Improved.
5. Editorial – Time to design a strategy for ending aid dependence ... Download[PDF]

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Issue 04_Vol: 11.

IN THIS ISSUE

In an attempt to craft a deal that would lead to the conclusion of the Doha Round by the end of the year, the Director General of the WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy, convened in Geneva 21-31 July, a meeting of a limited number of ministers from countries considered key players in WTO representing a spectrum of the membership. The expectation was that these would agree on modalities for Agriculture and Industrial Products reforms that would pave the way for completing the Round by the end of the year.

Lamy's gamble of calling a high profile Mini-Ministerial meeting thus ended in failure, leaving most delegations wondering as to how they can pick up the pieces to further the process. Lamy acknowledged that "this process failed to reach its goal, despite more than a week of very intensive negotiations. Members were unable to bridge their differences in the area of the Special Safeguard Mechanism and we did not even get around to discussing Cotton. No one is throwing in the towel. But, we have to be lucid: given where the negotiation broke down, building on the progress made so far will not be easy and we should be under no illusion as to what this week's failure means for the credibility of our collective endeavour," ... Download[PDF]

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Issue 3_Vol: 11

IN THIS ISSUE:

Japan’s national economic identity and African development: what can Africa learn from Japan’s development experiences?

Japan has emerged in recent years as a leading donor country with African countries. At one level, Japan’s renewed assertiveness in providing foreign aid to Africa is on par with the more active approach by other donor countries. It might appear to some that Japan’s motivations to lend capital and technical assistance to African countries are shared by all lending countries. However, I argue that Japan’s Official Development Policy and, in particular, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) process, seeks to break away from the acceptance of the Washington Consensus and to demonstrate its particular leadership position in the donor community. As one well regarded Japanese economist claimed recently, Japan has been “walking the splendid path of isolation.” ... Download[PDF]

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Issue 2_Vol: 11

IN THIS ISSUE:

UNCTAD Xii Re-Affirms the Mandate But Pares Down The UNCTAD Intergovernmental Machinery.

The twelfth Ministerial Conference on Trade and Development held in Accra concluded 2008 by adopting on April 25th the Accra Declaration and Accord, which while reaffirming the UNCTAD mandate, downsized the UNCTAD intergovernmental machinery from three commissions as agreed at the Midrand conference, to two commissions. This is perhaps the most dramatic downsizing of UNCTAD since then and could be a forbearer of further downsizing the UNCTAD secretariat, with negative impacts on programme delivery ... Download[PDF]

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Issue 1_Vol: 11

IN THIS ISSUE:

India and Africa Agree To Boost The Bilateral and Regional Cooperation and Linkages.

The Indian-African forum summit held in New Delhi from 8-9th April gave boost to south-south, and more specifically India-Africa, collaboration when they agreed to the New Delhi declaration which redefined and reinvigorated the historical partnership between India and the African continent and adopted a framework for cooperation that provides the avenue for further and dynamic development. ... Download[PDF]

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