Must unite to fight COVID-19

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has stressed that the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) grouping needs to work together to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Minister Patel said this when addressing the 10th BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting recently, which focused on measures to combat COVID-19, strategy for the BRICS Economic Partnership, the Multilateral Trading System and other key areas of cooperation.

At the meeting, BRICS countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including e-commerce, intellectual property rights as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.The meeting was attended by economic and trade ministers of BRICS countries.

Minister Patel briefed the meeting on South Africa's response to COVID-19, outlining national interventions and actions and highlighting the key lessons that government is drawing from the coronavirus crisis and how it's shaping thinking for the future.

He said government is considering further economic measures, including significant infrastructure investment and developing greater levels of dynamism and competitiveness in domestic industry.

Minister Patel highlighted two key observations from South Africa's experience in dealing with the pandemic.

The first, he said, is that solidarity and working together is critical in fighting a pandemic.

“As the pandemic is still with us, we need to now further strengthen the solidarity between ourselves. For example, in securing critical goods from each other where no local manufacturing capability currently exists; in promoting investment in each other's economies so that economic recovery is fast-tracked, and in ensuring that any future vaccine is available to developing countries at affordable prices.”

The second observation he shared is that the benefits of highly integrated supply chains come with enormous vulnerabilities when they are disrupted.

“African countries are learning the hard lesson

that if we are simply exporters of raw materials and importers of medication, medical equipment and other critical goods, then our ability to ensure the protection of citizens in moments like these is compromised.”

He explained that building resilient and diversified supply chains must include building domestic manufacturing capabilities.

“An inclusive supply chain means that manufacturing capacity is diversified across countries, and South Africa and the African continent is ready to expand production for both existing product lines and new product opportunities.”

South Africa has called for a discussion on the relationship between the Agreement on TradeRelated Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and COVID-19 in the G20, the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), saying that affordable access to technology to produce critical medical supplies remains important.

The Minister said that the South African government has argued that the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement on patents and compulsory licensing should not be barriers to sharing the technology (without royalty) to produce the medical equipment needed to address the crisis.

India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the pandemic has provided nations a window of opportunity to add strength by building capacities, expanding manufacturing and plugging into global value chains.

“As BRICS members are among the most affected countries in the world, we must collectively demonstrate a determined will to emerge stronger, while being prepared to face any such unknown crisis,” he said.

Minister Goyal that the WTO reform process should take into account the existing realities in the world and be inclusive, balanced and consensus-based, leading to prosperity for all.

“It is disheartening that we are seeing some proposals at the WTO seeking to ride on the pandemic for pursuing commercial ends.

“It will essentially support the quest of developed countries' firms to have unhindered access to the markets in developing countries, while putting constraints on developing countries to establish domestic manufacturing capacities.”

Describing 2020 as a turning point in the history of multilateralism, especially for the BRICS grouping, Minister Goyal said that any economic partnership must keep in mind the different size and population of each country, unequal levels of economic development and human development indicators. In addition, contrasting levels of prosperity, cultural diversity and significantly different political and judicial systems needed to be considered.

Minister Goyal said that nations that trust each other are increasingly coming together to build global supply chains and it is trust and transparency that determine their sustainability.

“Increasingly, nations that trust each other are coming together to build global supply chains with corresponding investments in manufacturing and services,” he added.

BRICS countries are an important trading block partner for South Africa, with exports to BRICS countries from South Africa totalling nearly R500 billion in 2019.

In the 10 years since its inception, BRICS cooperation has expanded to many areas, including economy, trade, finance, business, agriculture, education, health, science and technology, culture, think tanks and friendship cities.

South Africa's involvement and participation in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) will benefit the country greatly.

This is according to Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu, who explained that:“The vision of the APRM is the full actualisation of transformative leadership and practice for the Africa we all want.”

He added that South Africa is committed to the ideals of the APRM of promoting good governance and economic development.

“Poor governance can critically undermine national development and therefore, good governance is critical in ensuring that the citizens and the country benefit in what may ultimately be realised.”

Activities conducted within the APRM will assist South Africa in attaining its National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 goals of eliminating poverty, creating employment opportunities through faster economic growth and building a capable and ethical state.

“In repositioning the APRM in South Africa, an alignment between the APRM National Action

Plan, NDP and the Performance Management and Planning instruments, including Annual Performance Plans of departments, will be effected.

“The APRM, via the National Governing Council (NGC), is essentially a vibrant and dynamic platform, through which civil society can ensure accountability, integrity, ethical conduct and delivery of services on the part of all three spheres of government and its departments, including state-owned entities (SOEs),” said the Minister.

The formation of the South African NGC will pave the way for the preparation of South Africa's 2nd Generation Review, which is about to be undertaken.

Cabinet approved the formation of the NGC, which comprises the three spheres of government, civil society groups, the private sector and labour, in line with the APRM principle of broadbased participation.

Minister Mchunu said the NGC structure is at the core of the functioning and success of the country's APRM, as its key role is to mobilise and ensure participation of all

stakeholders and citizens in the APRM processes.

“The structure is expected to lead this process of country self-assessment, ensure its credibility and ultimately produce the Country Self-Assessment Report.”

Since its appointment, the NGC has convened meetings to formulate its charter, which is in accordance with the Statute of the APRM and further provides insight to the objectives of the NGC, the structure of the various national structures to be appointed and the functions of the various structures.

“Following the adoption of its charter, the NGC will be inducted on the processes of the APRM, which are technical in nature. This is to ensure that all representatives understand what is required of them as a structure, in respect of the country's 2nd Generation Review process.”

The NGC will engage on the National Road Map, which is currently in draft form. The National Road Map details the activities to be undertaken in the NGC's 2020/2021 financial year with the aim of producing the first draft of the National Country Review Report.

Minister Mchunu congratulated the newly-appointed NGC chairperson and the deputy chairperson who will lead the structure of 32 representatives, plus the nine provinces.

Thulani Tshefuta was elected and appointed as the NGC chairperson.

He holds a number of post-graduate qualifications from Wits University, Gordon Institute of Business Science and Crammer Graduate School of Business at Rollins University – USA.

He is studying towards a Master's Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation at Wits University.

Magdalene Moonsamy - an admitted attorney, the founder of the Women's Justice Foundation and an activist for human, women and LGBTI rights - was appointed as the deputy chairperson.

The following Ministers are also part of the NGC: Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; Minister in the Presidency; Minister of International Relations and Cooperation; Minister of Finance and Minister for Public Service and Administration.