They were not prepared to lower subsidies and import tariffs on farm products, which deny access to producers from the developing countries of the South, yet demanded massive cuts in tariffs on industrial imports into Southern countries which are struggling to compete in a world market dominated by the rich Northern countries.

And in addition they demanded greater access to services in the South, so that they could extract big profits from the provision of essential services to the people.

COSATU does not welcome the collapse of the talks but believes it would have been worse for the developing countries to have signed an agreement which would have sabotaged their economies and strengthened the domination of Northern big business over the world economy.

The Southern governments were right to reject the idea that developing countries must accept deep cuts in tariffs in exchange for an end to unfair trade practices in the North. Any agreement must protect the ability of poor countries to implement policies to develop their economies and meet the needs of their people.

No solution that leads to deepening poverty and unemployment in countries which already suffer from joblessness, hunger and poor infrastructure. Ultimately, too, any agreement that undermines development in the South would also have undermined conditions for working people in the North.

COSATU calls on the governments of the South to join together in an expanded G11/G20 to ensure that the credibility of the WTO is not salvaged by any other agreement that sabotages development in the South, and to resist any attempt to impose such a deal. World trade must be driven by the needs of the majority of the world’s population and not the greed of the rich and powerful minority.