Media releases
Tuesday, 29 October 2002 - MVT138/2002
Australia Leads World in Helping Poor
Australia's decision to give least developed country exports duty-free
and quota-free access to the Australian market is another example
of our commitment to help poorer countries to stand on their own two
feet, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today.
"Economic growth is the best poverty-buster, and this initiative
will help the poorest to increase their exports and living standards,"
Mr Vaile said.
"Australia committed itself in several international fora to address
the trade and development needs of least developed countries by granting
duty-free and quota-free access for all goods.
"This initiative, which sets a new world benchmark, makes no exclusions
or special deals for certain sectors. It will greatly help the least
developed countries to secure a better go in international trade and
improve their effective participation in the multilateral trading
system.
"I call on other developed countries that limit poor countries' preferential
access for so-called "sensitive" products such as agriculture or textiles,
to follow Australia's lead," Mr Vaile said.
"Australia is the most open agricultural market, and one of the most
open markets in the world. It is high time that the major trading
nations lived up to their rhetoric on helping the poor to help themselves.
Better access to developed country markets will do more to improve
the livelihoods of rural people in developing countries than any amount
of aid could hope to do.
"Australia's leadership of the Cairns Group and our campaign to open
up agriculture trade are also key elements of our strategy to help
developing countries benefit from the world trading system.
"The informal trade ministers' meeting I will chair in November in
Sydney will also focus on developing country concerns to ensure that
all countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, benefit
from the global trading system.
"Australia has taken an important step towards this goal, and we
will be working in the WTO through the Doha Development Agenda to
do more to address developing countries' concerns, Mr Vaile said.
The Doha WTO Ministerial meeting in November 2001, the OECD Ministerial
meeting in May 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
September 2002, the UN Financing for Development Conference in March
2002 and the UN Conference on Least Developed Countries in May 2002,
all exhorted developed countries to improve trade access for the least
developed.
Media Contact: Robyn Bain +61 02 6277 7420
Local Date:
Friday, 21-Nov-2008 18:07:15 EST
