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The Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFSC) Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso welcomed the appointment of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the new boss of the World Organization trade (WTO).
He noted that the appointment of Dr Okonjo-Iweala was a plus for Nigeria and Africa.
In a conversation with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr Antwi-Danso said that Dr Okonjo-Iweala made history as the first woman and the first African to be chosen as Chief Executive Officer of the global body.
He praised Dr Okonjo-Iweala for his accomplishments over the years and his gradual rise to stardom; working at the World Bank and later as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Nigeria.
He also congratulated her for her articulation on issues of economic governance, global governance and third world development.
“And we take all our hats off her for shining so much for herself, for Nigeria and for Africa. We are very happy that the world saw her credentials and approved her.
“And that is a plus for her personally and a plus for Africa; that we have men and women capable of leading global institutions like the WTO, ”he said.
Dr Antwi-Danso said that Dr Okonjo-Iweala was able to provide some guidance to the WTO that would be in the interest of Africa.
He said he was particularly interested in the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), which is the main WTO agreement and the main tool for dispute settlement.
The purpose of the dispute settlement mechanism is to achieve a positive solution to a dispute.
He said that developing countries had not yet explored the basic principles of the DSU to benefit significantly from the WTO, adding: “It seems that the way this is done is making it difficult for countries. developing to fight for their rights when they have been hurt. “
“Because no one is punished for anything, it is as if the offended country is instead left to punish the offending country. We are weaker, we cannot do it. So she has to look at this place.
He said that while it may be difficult to achieve, however, as a leader of the WTO, when “she draws attention to this, it will work,” adding that “it is precisely because the WTO is a based organization. “
Dr Antwi-Danso also suggested that the new DG consider Article 24 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which provided the basis for two or more territories to form a customs union or d ” establish a free trade area (FTA). .
He said that the application of Article 24 was such that it was misinterpreted and that developing countries suffered.
Quoting the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), he said that if you looked at the EPA, it was implemented through Article 24 but they never mentioned it.
He said the exception rule in Article 24 states that if a free trade area wants to have a special waiver with another free trade area, then it could face discrimination, for development purposes.
“So when the Lomé Convention died, there was leeway for a new dispensation and you could use article 24 to do it, but what we saw is that the European Union ( EU) wanted to sign agreements with individual countries.
And they presented their own reason, but that’s not what article 24 says and they were forcing developing countries to accept it, ”he said.
“And we (the developing countries) are helpless, absolutely helpless. I am very worried about the application of article 24 within the framework of the EPA. And I believe that EPAs have to help developing countries and this is where there can be discrimination outside of Article 11. I think those are thorny issues that she has to face.
Dr Antwi-Danso also said that the new CEO will have to take up the issue of subsidies to farmers in developing countries.
He said most countries in the advanced world give subsidies to their farmers, citing the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which protects their farmers, adding that there is a need for developing countries to do even for their farmers.
He urged developing countries to cooperate with each other in order to force things in their favor.
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