India-South Africa India-South Africa 2019 | Page 18

on Investment Facilitation for Development
issued on December 13, 2107, by countries
like China, Brazil, Russia, Canada, Argentina,
and many others at the close of the WTO
Ministerial Meeting asserted that it shall not
address contentious issues like market access,
investor-state dispute etc. India and South
Africa along with the United States were also
opposed to any discussion on this issue in the
G20 summit in Hamburg in 2017.
Another instance where both India and South
Africa have taken a common position is the
opposition to the moratorium on customs duty
for e-commerce transmissions. Both countries
are not willing to continue with the current
multilateral trade rule of not imposing customs
duties on e-commerce transmissions. It was in
the year 1998 that the WTO members had agreed
for a temporary moratorium on customs duties
for such transmissions. The United States has
demanded that this temporary moratorium now
be made permanent. But countries like India
and South Africa which are witnessing more of
such transmissions in recent years are opposed
to a moratorium like this fearing revenue loss.
In a joint proposal at the WTO last year, India
and South Africa argued that “the realities
prevailing in 1998, when WTO members agreed
for the fi rst time to the temporary moratorium on
customs duties on electronic transmissions, have
changed signifi cantly during the subsequent
two decades”. Whereas, the United States in
its proposal argued for a tariff -free treatment of
digital products.
In the UN
India-South Africa cooperation has always
been evident at the forum of the United Nations.
Be it the support for United Nations Security
18 • India-South Africa • 2019
Council (UNSC) expansion or the contribution
to UN Peacekeeping, the two countries have
generally held common positions.
Both India and South Africa are in the L.69
group of developing countries. This group
constitutes of forty-two developing countries
across Asia and the Pacifi c, Africa and Latin
America. The purpose of this grouping is
focused on ensuring reforms in the UNSC,
including expansion of both permanent and
non-permanent membership. This would make
the UNSC more relevant and representative
in today’s evolving global order. In fact, key
advocacy of the L.69 group is that either the
right to veto be abolished or be also given
to new permanent members upon UNSC
expansion.
One of the key contenders for the permanent
membership has been India. If the restructuring
and expansion take place, India’s candidacy is
quite strong. This owes to the fact that India has
been pro-actively contributing to the restoration
of global peace and security. India has been
doing this through its meaningful interventions
in the restoration of peace and support to the
UN peacekeeping missions.
Moreover, in September 2018, at a
UN summit, the member states adopted
a political declaration and recognised the
period of 2019-28 as the Nelson Mandela
Decade of Peace. It emphasises the lifelong
eff orts and commitments made by President
Nelson Mandela in promoting international
understanding, human rights, and universal
brotherhood. Also, the United Nations through
its resolution 69/131 proclaimed June 21 as the
International Day of Yoga. This Indian proposal
was seconded and supported by several
countries including those in Africa.