23rd January: Nothing to declare23 January 2004
Today there was a World Trade Organisation (WTO) press conference following the trade ministers meeting that wasn't confirmed until yesterday.
The representatives of the 20 or so countries at the meeting had little to say.
Swiss President Deiss, who issued the invitations to this meeting, said he is optimistic that the basis for renewed WTO negotiations should be laid this year. They briefly discussed services and the dreaded "New Issues" which are:
- Investment
- Competition
- Trade facilitation
- Government procurement.
He said their "goal was achieved" of having a "positive and open" meeting, but that no decisions were taken.
The one concrete thing he was keen to point out, is that there was no connection between the WEF meeting taking place now and this informal trade meeting.
WEF/WTO sign
This may have confused those who saw the sign outside announcing the WEF-organised press conference on the WTO meeting.
How both of these can be true is a bit of a mystery.
By contrast the Public Eye press conference this morning discussed the increasingly dangerous relationship between big business and the international trade system.
Tony Juniper pointed out it was no coincidence that today's WTO meeting was held here during the WEF - clearly a strong steer is being given to governments by big business on how to proceed on trade.
Neither is it by chance that CEOs of major multinationals held a WEF workshop today on "how to kick start the WTO negotiations".
Still rigging the system after all these years.
If governments wanted real discussions with their electorates about what we want, surely they would have made the effort to walk up the road to the Public Eye, if not actually attending the Mumbai Social Forum itself.
Don't let big business rule the world,
Craig and Eve
Craig Bennett and Eve Mitchell, our Corporates Campaigners are sending daily updates direct from the World Economic Forum.
© Friends of the Earth
