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WTO names Kenyan to key docket in Africa charm offensive

Karau

Mr Stephen Karau will chair all of WTO’s special negotiation sessions on agriculture. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has named five more Africans to head its key bodies in an apparent effort to boost acceptance in a continent that has lagged in global trade for decades.

Kenya's representative in Geneva, Mr Stephen Karau, will chair all the WTO’s special negotiation sessions on agriculture, a sensitive docket as the sector is the backbone of many African economies.

He is expected confront contentious issues such as farm subsidies and market access rules that have tilted the global market landscape against Africa’s produce.

Senegal’s Coly Seck was also named the chairperson of special sessions of the agency’s Dispute Settlement Body while Tunisia’s Walid Doudech will chair a committee on regional trade agreements.

Also heading a key body is Mr Taonga Mushayavanhu of Zimbabwe who becomes chairperson of the committee on trade and development.

conference

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Secretary Amina Mohamed (left) with Amb Stephen Karau (right) during the WTO's 10th ministerial conference at the Hilton Hotel on December 14, 2015. FILE PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

The four, named on April 7 via consensus, join South Africa’s Ambassador Xavier Carim who was elected in February as chairperson of WTO’s most powerful organ, the General Council.

Lag in global trade

Africa commands just about 1 per cent of the global trade, something that has been blamed on its export of primary commodities and a weak voice at key international bodies.

The WTO, which handles the global rules of trade between States, has lately been fighting to remain relevant to the continent, a move that culminated in Nairobi hosting its first ministerial conference in Africa two years ago.

Others named on April 7 to head the various WTO bodies include Mr Carlos Gonzales of Colombia who chairs the Trade Policy Review Body, Korea’s Choi Kyonglim who heads the council for trade in goods and Mr Julian Braithwaite of the UK who heads the council on trade in services.

Ms Irene Young of Hong Kong heads the council on agreement of trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs) while Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi takes up the agency’s committee on balance of payments restrictions.

Others are the committee on budget, finance and administration chairperson Peter Brňo of Slovakia, Mrs Zhanar Aitzhanova of Kazakhstan who will chair the committee on trade and environment, Ms Zorica Marićdjordjević of Montenegro (working group on trade and transfer of technology) and Sweden’s Daniel Blockert (committee on trade facilitation).

In February, the WTO named Mr Junichi Ihara of Japan as chairperson of its Dispute Settlement Body.