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Position Paper Award Winner 1
| Paper |
Position
Paper |
| Topic |
Free Trade
and Developing Countries |
| Country |
South Africa |
| Committee |
Second Committee |
| Subsection |
A |
Main element of concern:
The
United States and other countries bean lifting trade sanctions against South
Africa in the summer of 1991. South Africa's main concern is our inability to
increase our percentage of international trade on the world market since 1991.
Tariff's on imports and exports must be regulated to maintain free trade. The
General Agreement on Tariff's and Trade (GATT) has agreements with approximately
85% of the world trade nations. Our concern is that GATT should initiate a
sliding scale on imports and exports as they relate to each individual trading
nation. This would allow the less economically developed nations a fair
opportunity to trade on the world markets. South Africa is economically
disadvantaged when placed against the world trade nations. By allowing minority
nations a lower tariff, an equality in trade economics can begin to be
established.
General point:
South Africa's position is that nations
with limited natural resources and major industry should be allowed higher
import tariffs and lower export tariffs. GATT should work with the world banking
conglomerates to allow lower international banking rates to equalize trade and
economic conditions for smaller nations.
Action taken on the issue:
GATT has established guidelines for
nations under special arrangement to apply all reductions in tariffs and other
measures to liberalize trade achieved between member countries.
Justification of position and summary:
South Africa strongly supports
international trade. Our nation's population is 40 million plus, but only 11
million are economically active. Our largest export is gold at 40% and minerals
and metals at 33%. Unemployment is in the 20% range with many areas of our
nation impoverished. To realistically improve our nations economic condition, we
must be allowed to compete equally with nations who are vastly superior in
technology, production of goods and services and who's nation as a whole is
vastly superior to our own. There must be some attempt made to assist developing
nations.
Nature of resolution to be proposed:
The nation of South Africa supports
creating an amendment to GATT allowing impoverished and developing nations
tariff advantages until such time as that nation can fully develop economically
and compete equally in the world trade markets.
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