April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal

In similar vein, U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk maintained that the
emerging countries bear the responsibility to conclude the Doha trade
negotiations. He said the U.S. faces high unemployment, which requires
real market access to big emerging developing countries.
Commenting on these conflicting positions, the South African trade
minister said, "despite a moderately ambitious agriculture package (that
is on the table), we had already paid much more in industrial goods and
services.
"We want an agreement because we are committed to addressing the
systemic issues in the global trading system, such as cotton and
duty-free/quota-free access," said Davies, emphasising that the
"credibility" of the global trading system rests on how it treats poor
countries in Africa and elsewhere.
Despite a clear mandate on cotton, which needs to be addressed
"ambitiously," "expeditiously," and "specifically" according to July
2004 framework agreement and the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration of
2005, there is no progress because the U.S. wants to address this issue
only after there is an agreement in all other areas.
The U.S. is also not ready to address duty-free and quota-free market
access for the poorest countries until all other issues are resolved.
In a series of meetings of the Doha negotiating groups on agriculture
and industrial goods at the WTO this past week, the differences on the
level of ambition between industrialised countries and developing
countries like India, South Africa, and Argentina came into the open.
While the U.S. and the EU insisted on increasing the level of ambition
by bridging the "gap" between members' positions, the developing
countries reminded members that the level of ambition will have to
reflect paragraph 24 of the 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration which
called for a proportional outcome between agriculture and industrial
goods.
"It is difficult to believe that countries which managed to get a range
of exceptions in agricultural market access want the developing
countries to offer more on industrial goods and services," Davies said,
arguing that those who are asking for more should also pay more in areas
of interest to South Africa and other African countries.
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Why Wisconsin?
How history set the stage for rebellion
Zoltan Grossman 8 March 2011
The Spirit of Wisconsin has inspired millions of Americans, as labor protests
in the state continue to confront union-busting Governor Scott Walker.
Because public employee unions and public education are under attack
across the country, an immense wave of solidarity has embraced the
Wisconsin Rebellion. People around the U.S. want to learn the tactics of
the uprising to emulate it in their own states, and learn why Wisconsin’s
grassroots movement grew so large, so rapidly.