By Sanjay Suri
LONDON, Jun 21 2005 (IPS)

The developing world needs long-term economic opportunities and not temporary relief, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon told IPS in an interview. ”Until they get economic opportunities, all the rest is just band aid.”

The developing world needs long-term economic opportunities and not temporary relief, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon told IPS in an interview Tuesday.

”Until they get economic opportunities, all the rest is just band aid,” said McKinnon. The Commonwealth is a grouping of 53 nations that includes Britain and nations once a part of the British Empire. Of the Commonwealth members, Britain and Canada are also members of the Group of Eight (G8).

McKinnon who has led a sustained campaign for fair trade is now presenting a list of demands from the Commonwealth to the G8 summit to take place in Gleneagles in Scotland July 6-8. The G8 represents the most industrialised nations comprising the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

”We want G8 to acknowledge that there is need for a real breakthrough on trade, on debt relief and on aid itself,” McKinnon said. ”It’s not a question of trading off one against the other. It is a question of ensuring that countries in the developing world feel genuinely that something good can happen.”

McKinnon said he is writing to the G8 leaders to say ”that there is a need to create greater economic opportunity, and the way to do that principally is through a successful Doha Developing Round. If this Doha round is not of benefit to developing countries, you can just say goodbye to economic opportunities.”

But provisions to write off such debts are still necessary, McKinnon said. ”In the same way that we can have people in the West become bankrupt and stand up again without paying anything, some nations need to have their slate wiped clean, and be able to start off again.”

But such debt relief together with aid will only scratch the surface, McKinnon said. ”The aid is only giving them money to do some things. Economic opportunities can only be granted principally by the U.S. and EU (European Union) having a very determined policy on eliminating agricultural export subsidies, and of course all those barriers that prevent developing countries trading with them.”

McKinnon has led a long campaign for fair trade, but he is not optimistic that the G8 summit will deliver what is necessary.

”I must say I was very, very depressed when I heard the French interlocutors and the French president say that agricultural subsidies are at the core of Europe,” McKinnon said. ”That is a very, very poor prescription. And it shows a high level of ignorance towards developing countries and their needs. I am very critical of those people who say we will help you economically but do not expect us to diminish our agricultural subsidies.”

Such comments coming out of France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany mean ”it’s going to take a while for my optimism to be lifted,” he said. ”But you cannot stop. These meetings coming in July are very important. The trade ministers meetings in December are very important. I’m very determined to do my bit on behalf of all Commonwealth countries to press for a major breakthrough.”

The pressure for change needs to get stronger, he said. ”For too long I’ve been hearing that well, we might do something next year. And then we can’t do it then because of some election. With 25 countries in Europe there will be elections every year now. You can’t go on using those excuses.”

More than the EU, McKinnon said the United States carries a responsibility. ”In the United States their whole economic history has benefited from their being able to trade with who they wanted to. Now it’s time they reciprocated and let others get the same benefits.”

The Commonwealth can be effective in building up a campaign for the rights of developing countries, McKinnon said. ”We are 53 countries, we are right around the globe, we are not just African, we are not Asian, Pacific, we are not European, Caribbean, we are a bit of everything. If you can get a level of agreement among Commonwealth countries, and Commonwealth countries are all saying that there must be a successful Doha Development Round, that does provide a very strong platform of thought to those G8 leaders.”

McKinnon claimed British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a voice on its side in the debate. ”If you look at what Mr Blair has been saying over the last few days, I think he is speaking more as a Commonwealth member than as an EU member,” he said. ”And in terms of influencing the G8, we commend him for that.”

The Commonwealth will not be on the table as a group, ”but we are there as representing a variety of other groups, and most of international relations these days are very much like that,” McKinnon said. ”So some will use the Commonwealth to pursue their agenda, others will use other organisations, depending on the issue and the time and the place.”

Excerpt:

By Sanjay Suri
LONDON, Jun 21 2005 (IPS)

The developing world needs long-term economic opportunities and not temporary relief, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon told IPS in an interview Tuesday.

”Until they get economic opportunities, all the rest is just band aid,” said McKinnon. The Commonwealth is a grouping of 53 nations that includes Britain and nations once a part of the British Empire. Of the Commonwealth members, Britain and Canada are also members of the Group of Eight (G8).

McKinnon who has led a sustained campaign for fair trade is now presenting a list of demands from the Commonwealth to the G8 summit to take place in Gleneagles in Scotland July 6-8. The G8 represents the most industrialised nations comprising the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

”We want G8 to acknowledge that there is need for a real breakthrough on trade, on debt relief and on aid itself,” McKinnon said. ”It’s not a question of trading off one against the other. It is a question of ensuring that countries in the developing world feel genuinely that something good can happen.”

McKinnon said he is writing to the G8 leaders to say ”that there is a need to create greater economic opportunity, and the way to do that principally is through a successful Doha Developing Round. If this Doha round is not of benefit to developing countries, you can just say goodbye to economic opportunities.”

Measures like the debt cancellation of some of the poorest nations ”does not solve the underlying problems,” said. ”Some debt gets written off, which is good. Some of the debt that gets written off should never have been agreed to in the first place. Some of the debt was taken by wrong decisions.”

But such debt relief together with aid will only scratch the surface, McKinnon said. ”The aid is only giving them money to do some things. Economic opportunities can only be granted principally by the U.S. and EU (European Union) having a very determined policy on eliminating agricultural export subsidies, and of course all those barriers that prevent developing countries trading with them.”

McKinnon has led a long campaign for fair trade, but he is not optimistic that the G8 summit will deliver what is necessary.

”I must say I was very, very depressed when I heard the French interlocutors and the French president say that agricultural subsidies are at the core of Europe,” McKinnon said. ”That is a very, very poor prescription. And it shows a high level of ignorance towards developing countries and their needs. I am very critical of those people who say we will help you economically but do not expect us to diminish our agricultural subsidies.”

Such comments coming out of France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany mean ”it’s going to take a while for my optimism to be lifted,” he said. ”But you cannot stop. These meetings coming in July are very important. The trade ministers meetings in December are very important. I’m very determined to do my bit on behalf of all Commonwealth countries to press for a major breakthrough.”

The pressure for change needs to get stronger, he said. ”For too long I’ve been hearing that well, we might do something next year. And then we can’t do it then because of some election. With 25 countries in Europe there will be elections every year now. You can’t go on using those excuses.”

More than the EU, McKinnon said the United States carries a responsibility. ”In the United States their whole economic history has benefited from their being able to trade with who they wanted to. Now it’s time they reciprocated and let others get the same benefits.”

The Commonwealth can be effective in building up a campaign for the rights of developing countries, McKinnon said. ”We are 53 countries, we are right around the globe, we are not just African, we are not Asian, Pacific, we are not European, Caribbean, we are a bit of everything. If you can get a level of agreement among Commonwealth countries, and Commonwealth countries are all saying that there must be a successful Doha Development Round, that does provide a very strong platform of thought to those G8 leaders.”

McKinnon claimed British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a voice on its side in the debate. ”If you look at what Mr Blair has been saying over the last few days, I think he is speaking more as a Commonwealth member than as an EU member,” he said. ”And in terms of influencing the G8, we commend him for that.”

The Commonwealth will not be on the table as a group, ”but we are there as representing a variety of other groups, and most of international relations these days are very much like that,” McKinnon said. ”So some will use the Commonwealth to pursue their agenda, others will use other organisations, depending on the issue and the time and the place.”

Excerpt: