Kituyi challenges Africa to set new trade rules

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi has challenged African countries to demand new global trade rules during the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference to be held in Nairobi in December.

Kituyi, a former Kenyan Cabinet Minister, said new rules would empower the continent to gain from the global trade since the current ones popularly known as Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the Doha Declaration, favour developed nations.

“As we enter the digital age, as we have global value chains where different components and tasks are distributed around the world, Africa must start embracing new challenges,” he said.

“To be able to do that in trade, they need to close the Doha roundtable and start a Nairobi roundtable which represents the 21st century.”

According to Kituyi, Africa needs its major regional trade blocs to strengthen its bargaining power on the global platforms as well as integrate her economies to maximize on trade

The agreement establishing the WTO was signed at Marrakech (Morocco) by the same 23 GATT member states creating a membership organization whose mandate is to ensure that global trade is conducted smoothly, freely and predictably.

Dr. Kituyi was speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Union inter- ministerial conference held in Nairobi.