Feb 9, 1985

INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BUREAU LAUNCHED.

GENEVA, FEBRUARY 8 (IFDA/CHAKRAVARTHI RAGHAVAN)— The coming into force of the International Textiles and Clothing Bureau, an intergovernmental body of Third World exporting members of the Multifibre Arrangements was announced Friday in Geneva.-

Felipe Jaramillo, Colombia's Ambassador to GATT and UNCTAD, announced that the agreement (of which the government of Colombia is the depository) has now entered into force, having been signed and ratified by seven countries who accounted for 70 percent of the Third World MFA exports.-

As of February 8, ten countries have signed the agreement – China, Colombia, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Macao, Mexico, Pakistan and Peru.-

Of these ten, Colombia, Egypt and Mexico are still in the process of ratification, as required by their constitutions.-

The Bureau has as its main objectives:

-- The elimination of discrimination and protectionism directed against textiles and clothing exports of its members in the world market, and for full application of GATT rules and principles to this trade,

-- Assist members in ensuring their rights under the MFA, and

-- Assist members in their effective participation in all relevant international fora dealing with textiles and clothing sector.

The Bureau is to be allocated in Geneva, and negotiations are in progress with the Swiss Federal Authorities in this matter, Jaramillo said.-

Third World MFA exporters have been already cooperating among themselves, and have for the last three years or more been presenting a united stand, through the "programme of cooperation among developing countries exporters of textiles and clothing", which has 29 members.-

It is financed by a trust fund contributed by members and others and administered by the UNCTAD secretariat.-

Jaramillo hoped that most, if not all members of the programme of cooperation, would join the Textiles and Clothing Bureau, and that in any event the two would complement each other.-

Members of the programme would be able to attend the Bureau as observers, and at least in the beginning this would facilitate the joint presentation of a Third World view, not only in GATT and other fora, but also in educating public opinion in industrial countries.-

At present, only the viewpoint of the domestic textile industry was presented in the media, Jaramillo complained.-

The first meeting of the Council of the Bureau is expected to be held soon, when the election of a chairman and an executive director, and other matters would be considered.-

The programme of cooperation itself was holding a workshop of its members in Mexico in April 1985, and at the same time the Council of the Bureau would also be meeting, Jaramillo said.-

Jaramillo expected all Third World MFA exporters and members of the cooperation programme to join the Bureau, with the exception perhaps of a few small countries who do not have any representation in Geneva. But even they would be associated as observers.-

The setting up of the Bureau was a concrete example of mutual cooperation among the Third World countries, and would also deal with their negotiations with the industrial countries, Jaramillo added.-

Through the trust fund administered by UNCTAD, these countries had received help and cooperation from the UNCTAD secretariat and they expected the cooperation to continue in the future also.-