WTO
- Shrink or Sink!
The Turn Around Agenda
It's
time to turn trade around. In November 1999, the World Trade Organization's
(WTO) Third Ministerial Meeting in Seattle collapsed in spectacular fashion, in
the face of unprecedented protest from people and governments around the world.
We believe it is essential to use this moment as an opportunity to change
course and develop an alternative, humane, democratically accountable and
sustainable system of commerce that benefits all. This process entails rolling
back the power and authority of the WTO.
The GATT Uruguay Round Agreements and the establishment of the WTO were
proclaimed as a means of enhancing the creation of global wealth and prosperity
and promoting the well-being of all people in all member states. In reality,
however, The WTO has contributed to the concentration of wealth in the hands of
the rich few; increasing poverty for the majority of the world's peoples,
especially in third world countries; and unsustainable patterns of production
and consumption.
The WTO and GATT Uruguay Round Agreements have functioned principally to pry
open markets for the benefit of transnational corporations at the expense of
national and local economies; workers, farmers, indigenous peoples, women and
other social groups; health and safety; the environment; and animal welfare. In
addition, the WTO system, rules and procedures are undemocratic, un-transparent
and non-accountable and have operated to marginalize the majority of the
world's people.
All this has taken place in the context of increasing global instability, the
collapse of national economies, growing inequity both between and within
nations and increasing environmental and social degradation, as a result of the
acceleration of the process of corporate globalization.
The governments which dominate the WTO, especially the United States, the
European Union, Japan and Canada, and the transnational corporations which have
benefitted from the WTO system have refused to recognize and address these
problems. They are still intent on further liberalization, including through
the expansion of the WTO, promoting free trade as a goal in itself. In
reality, however, free trade is anything but "free".
The time has come to acknowledge the crises of the international trading system
and its main administering institution, the WTO. We need to replace this old,
unfair and oppressive trade system with a new, socially just and sustainable
trading framework for the 21st Century.
We need to protect cultural, biological, economic and social diversity;
introduce progressive policies to prioritize local economies and trade; secure
internationally recognized economic, cultural, social and labor rights; and
reclaim the sovereignty of peoples and national and sub-national democratic
decision-making processes. In order to do this, we need new rules based
on the principles of democratic control of resources, ecological
sustainability, equity, cooperation and precaution.
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In light of the above, we make the following demands of our governments:
No
WTO expansion
We reiterate our opposition to continued attempts to launch a new round or
expand the WTO by bringing in new issues such as investment, competition,
government procurement, biotechnology and accelerated tariff liberalization.
WTO
Hands off: Protect Basic Social Rights and Needs
It is
inappropriate and unacceptable for social rights and basic needs to be
constrained by WTO rules. Thus WTO Agreements must not apply to issues critical
to human or planetary welfare, such as food and water, basic social services,
health and safety, and animal protection. Inappropriate encroachment by trade
rules in such areas has already resulted in campaigns on genetically modified
organisms, old growth forests, domestically prohibited goods and predatory
tobacco marketing.
Gut
GATS: Protect Basic Social Services
In particular,
areas such as health, education, energy and other basic human services must not
be subject to international free trade rules. In the WTO General Agreement on
Services (GATS), the principle of "progressive liberalization" and
the implications of foreign investment in service sectors has already led to
severe problems.
Take
TRIPS Out: Restore National Patent Protection Systems
We demand the
removal of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS)
from the WTO. There is no basis for inclusion of intellectual property claims
in a trade agreement. Additionally, the TRIPS agreement promotes monopoly by
transnational corporations; prevents access to essential medicines and other
goods; leads to private appropriation of knowledge and life forms; undermines
biodiversity; and keeps poorer countries from increasing their levels of social
and economic welfare and developing their technological capacity.
No Patents on Life
The patenting of life forms must be prohibited in all national and
international regimes.
Food is a Basic Human Right
Measures taken to promote and protect food security and sovereignty,
subsistence farming, humane farming practices and sustainable agriculture must
be exempt from international free trade rules. There must be a prohibition on
export subsidies and other forms of dumping of agricultural products,
especially on third world countries. The trading system must not undermine the
livelihood of peasants, small farmers, artesinal fishers and indigenous
peoples.
No Investment Liberalization
The WTO Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMS) Agreement must be
eliminated. All countries and especially third world countries must have
the right to use policy options (such as local content policy) to increase the
capacity of their own productive sectors, especially small and medium
enterprises. Obviously, the TRIMS review must not be used to extend the investment
issue in WTO.
Fair Trade: Special and Differential Treatment
Special and differential rights for third world countries must be
recognized, expanded, and operationalized in the world trading system. This is
to take into account the weak position of third world countries in the
international trading system. Without the enforcement of special and
differential rights, there can be no possibility of third world countries
benefitting from world trade.
Prioritize Agreements on Social Rights and the Environment
Actions taken to implement multilateral agreements dealing with the
environment, health, development, human rights, safety, indigenous peoples'
rights, food security, women's rights, workers' rights and animal welfare
cannot be challenged at or undermined by the WTO.
Democratize Decision-Making
People must have the right to self-determination and the right to know and
decide on international commercial commitments. Among other things, this
requires that decision-making processes in negotiations and enforcement at
international commercial bodies be democratic, transparent and inclusive. The
WTO operates in a secretive, exclusionary manner that shuts out most third
world country Members and the public. It is dominated by a few powerful
governments acting on behalf of their corporate elites.
Dispute
the System
The WTO dispute
settlement system is unacceptable. It enforces an illegitimate system of unfair
rules and operates with undemocratic procedures. It also usurps the rulemaking
and legislative role of sovereign nations and local governments.
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A socially just international trade system will also require change outside the WTO. Given the attacks by multinational corporations and governments on basic workers rights; the reversal of the gains of workers' struggles; the undermining of job security; and the race-to-the-bottom in wages, workers rights must be strengthened worldwide.
Also, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the regional development banks must write off 100% of the debts owed to them by poor countries. The use of structural adjustment conditionality to force trade liberalization in third world countries and elsewhere must be stopped. Governments must negotiate, through the UN system and with full democratic participation, a binding agreement to ensure that corporate conduct is socially and environmentally responsible and democratically accountable.
We are committed to a sustainable, socially just and democratically accountable trade system. Thus, as a first step, we demand that our governments implement the changes listed in this document in order to roll back the power and authority of the WTO and turn trade around.
We commit ourselves to mobilize people within our countries to fight for these demands and to defy the unjust policies of the WTO. We will also support other people and countries who do so with international solidarity campaigns.
We pledge to carry the Spirit of Seattle around the world.
Signed
by:
Australia
Friends of the Earth
Chile
Programa Chile Sustentable
Fundacion Sociedades Sustentables
Finland
Finnish NGO Campaign on WTO
Friends of the Earth Finland
Finnish Association of World Shops
The Communist Party of Finland
Socialist Association
France
Droits devant!!
Ecoropa
Institut pour la relocalisation de l'économie
Observatoire de la mondialisation
Holland
Corporate Europe Observatory
Towards a Different Europe
Japan
Friends of the Earth Japan
Malaysia
Third World Network
New
Zealand
Friends of the Earth
Philippines
BAGONG ALYANSANG MAKABAYAN (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance)
Legal
Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth
Philippines
Ibon Foundation
UK
Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and North Ireland)
U.S.
Animal Welfare Institute
Alliance for Democracy
Bay Area Jubilee 2000 Coalition
Center for Economic Policy and Research
Economic Justice Now
Economic Justice Now Africa Committee
Friends of the Earth
Humane Society, U.S.
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Public Citizen
Society of Animal Protective Legislation
United for a Fair Economy