The following statement, issued two weeks before the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Doha, Qatar, points to the continuing unity of African civil society organizations working on trade issues. Their common front worked to strengthen the position of African governments at the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle, and did so again in Doha. The results of the Doha meeting were more ambiguous than the collapse of talks in Seattle. This declaration notes the tremendous lengths the "quad" countries (the U.S., Canada, Japan, and the European Union) went to in order to thwart the expression of Southern countries' positions; that strategy was taken even further in Doha, when the Northern countries essentially physically isolated Southern trade ministers, kept them awake all night, and finally managed to put out a statement they were able to term a provisional launch of a new round. The Indian government may have succeeded in inserting a clause which can nullify a new round, but the interpretation of its maneuver is already a matter of contention.

Declaration of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Africa Trade Network

22-25 October, 2001 - Dakar, Senegal

We, the members of the Africa Trade Network, working with hundreds of NGOs, trade unions, women's organizations and other civil society organizations all over Africa, at our fourth annual meeting in Dakar, Senegal, from 22 - 25 October, 2001, have deliberated on the current processes towards the forthcoming Fourth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization and declare as follows.

We are appalled at the fact that the preparations towards the Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Doha have been characterized by the undemocratic and untransparent working methods of the WTO which have always marginalized African and other developing countries members of the WTO and undermined their interests.

The Draft Declaration issued by the Chairman of the General Council of the WTO completely ignored the views and demands of African countries which these countries have clearly articulated both within formal structures of the WTO as well as in their own forums.

On the other hand, the new issues being promoted by the QUAD were given prominence in the text, together with a working program which, without explicitly saying so, provides for a comprehensive, open-ended new round of negotiations driven by the new issues.

Activities and processes since the draft declaration, both within and outside the official forums of the WTO, have been calculated to ensure that African and developing country members are unable to correct the negative character of the draft declaration, and ensure that their positive concerns as well as their opposition to the new round form an effective part of the preparatory processes towards Doha.

These include machinations to "ambush" developing and African country Ministers at Doha with a draft declaration without sufficient prior access for and effective input from their ambassadors.

Furthermore, advanced industrial country governments are using vehicles outside the WTO, including forums and initiatives like the ACP-EU [Africa/Caribbean/Pacific - European Union] meeting, mini-summits of African heads of states hosted by developed country governments, and processes around the New Partnership for African Development to induce and pressure African governments, divide and weaken their common front in relation to the WTO, in order for these countries to submit to the WTO agenda of the developed countries.

Even the deplorable terrorist attacks in the United States, which we all condemn, are being opportunistically exploited for the launch of a new round at the Doha Ministerial Conference.

The same tactics on process are being applied in relation to the subject matter for discussion. Developed countries adamantly block progress on the issues of implementation of greatest concern to African and other developing countries.

On issues like public health and intellectual property where there is near universal agreement for action before Doha, the advanced industrial countries have resorted to measures to separate least developed African countries from other African countries, and from other developing countries outside Africa.

Meanwhile a few of these countries are being used to pressure the majority into agreeing to a new round.

We, the members of the Africa Trade Network, condemn these undemocratic and manipulative methods deployed by the advanced industrial countries of the QUAD and within the leadership structures of the WTO.

We:

• uphold demands of civil society organizations all over Africa and the rest of the world for the redress of the damaging imbalances of the WTO agreements and structures as the primary task of the forthcoming ministerial conference. On this basis, we oppose the launch of a new round of negotiations, however described, structured around the new issues, particularly of investment, competition and government procurement.

• salute the determined efforts by the least developed countries, the group of African countries in the WTO, and other developing countries to ensure that the interest of the people of Africa and other developing countries are effective at the 4th Ministerial conference. We urge them to stay united in their demand for the redress of fundamental problems of the WTO and in their opposition to a new round, and to refuse to be diverted from these by offers of aid and new partnerships in forums outside the WTO from governments of the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan.

• express our continued solidarity with civil society organizations and citizens of the advanced industrial countries and their continued work to get their governments to respond positively to the concerns of African and other developing countries at the forthcoming Ministerial Conference.

• pledge our continued contribution to the struggles of social movements all over the world for equitable and fair international relations, where poorer countries and poor people everywhere have their fair share in decision-making and in shaping global and national structures and systems that benefit everyone and sustain the Earth.

Dakar, October 25, 2001