Public Private Dialogue West and Central African cotton farmers’ participation in international trade negotiations. By Eric HAZARD Enda Tiers monde Prospectives Dialogues Politiques

Public Private Dialogue The WTO as a new playing field:  GATT and WTO have not been the favourite forums for African countries ;  The Sectoral Initiative in favour of cotton, submitted to the WTO by 4 african countries marked an unfamiliar departure in terms of policy will ;  Still, the WTO seemed to be a potential framework for solving their trade problems. But behind the apparent unity of this dossier, behind the scene negotiations reveals interesting dynamics and game-plans amongst those involved, particularly for West and Central African cotton growers.

Public Private Dialogue Unadapted sub-regional and international context:  Relations between cotton producers/companies and the State reveal a confrontation or even instrumentalisation rather than partnership;  The growing role of NGOs has had a very limited impact ;  Last but not least, before 2000 the WCA States were scarcely involved in global trade negotiations. And so, even though it is not the first experiment of its kind, the Sectoral Initiative in favour of Cotton has the distinction of having developed a new approach where the producers are and remain at the centre of negotiations.

Public Private Dialogue Some landmarks in the progress of the issue that is on the whole positive in WCA.  Nov. 2001, African cotton producers denounced the effects of American and European cotton subsidies.  Feb. 2002, contact was established with NGOs.  March 2002, 3 producer representatives in a meeting on strategies for overcoming the crisis in African cotton industries.  June 2002, 25 producers took part in the West and Central African Agriculture Ministers’ Conference on cotton. The producers, supported behind the scenes by NGOs whose sphere of influence does not go beyond sub-Saharan Africa, forced the African Ministers to engage with the WTO.

Public Private Dialogue Some landmarks in the progress of the issue that is on the whole positive on WTO.  Sept. 2002, the producers made use of northern NGOs, specialising in agricultural and trade issues;  They contacted the African Ambassadors to the WTO ;  A large international alliance was outlined. The producers and industrialists took part in conferences where they lent their support to the Ambassadors’ line of argument.  On 30th April 2003, with the support of Genevan consultative organizations the Sectoral Initiative for cotton was submitted to the WTO. 4 months later, this request would contribute to the failure of the WTO conference in Cancun. The producers’ interests were at the heart of the debate, but amidst different sources of concerns. The common denominator was the end of unfair cotton subsidies for the survival of African cotton industries.

Public Private Dialogue In conclusion: 4 years after the first appeals from cotton producers, this dossier is still being discussed. This may appear slow going in view of the urgency of the economic and social situation. But beyond the political negotiations, the dynamics of irreversible dialogue have been launched: 1. African producers have become aware of the need to express their efforts at different levels (local, sub-regional and international) to take part in regulation bodies which decide the future of southern countries; 2. Producers have also understood the need to make use of proper expertise to safeguard their morsels of autonomy; 3. The benefit of establishing partnerships with stakeholders who have more room to manoeuvre in conjunction with working with States has also been well understood 4. More than any capacity building programme, the producers have increased their knowledge through on-the-spot learning;

Public Private Dialogue Good practices for building public / private dialogue. Define the areas of competence of each stakeholder, with regard to their real capacities and their mandate, in order to avoid and attenuate power struggles within coalitions; Develop flexible dialogue frameworks which are not necessarily fixed and /or institutionalised in which the stakeholders concerned recognise each other; Encourage the promotion of more flexible partnerships with development partners, making available qualitative tools that are closer to the needs in the field in terms of societal changes.

Public Private Dialogue Thanks for your attention.