Leading lawyer joins South African poultry crisis fight
Justice Richard Goldstone is an internationally renowned human rights lawyer and was the first chief prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for the ex-state Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.
Goldstone has now joined South Africa’s FairPlay Movement, an anti-dumping organisation, as a patron.
The organisation was set up to oppose what many in South Africa have claimed is the illegal and job-destroying practice of exporting huge quantities of chicken parts that do sell domestically to South Africa at prices below the cost of production.
‘A scourge’
FairPlay founder Francois Baird said the involvement of the leading lawyer would help the country challenge unfair trading practices.
“Dumping is a scourge which destroys industries in South Africa and elsewhere,” said Baird.
“Justice Goldstone is known around the world as a man who fights injustice, and we look forward to his guidance as we fight dumping worldwide.”
In a statement, Goldstone said he was a firm supporter of fair competition within trade and said an anti-dumping movement was needed to challenge the job-ending practices.
“When international trade is conducted according to the rules agreed multi-laterally in the World Trade Organization, it enhances wealth creation for everyone and serves all the stakeholders in the value chain,” said Goldstone.
“However dumping breaks the rules and, in the process, it unfairly destroys value, jobs and competition. If we want fair competition in international trade, we need all participants to trade fairly and according to the international agreements to which their countries are party.
“I have agreed to support FairPlay because I believe an anti-dumping movement is needed globally to make the moral case for following the rules.”
