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WORLD TRADE TALKS: SALE OF THE CENTURY

09 Nov 2001

(From Doha) As governments gather in Qatar for the WTO's 4th Ministerial, Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) groups in Qatar and around the world argue that bringing yet more controversial issues and sectors into the WTO will cause the Qatar Ministerial to be remembered as the Sale of the Century.

If some governments, including the European Union, the United States and Japan, have their way, a huge range of new sectors will come under WTO rules, meaning rich pickings for Northern-based transnationals, but possibly little else for poorer countries and people, smaller companies and the environment. On the table at present, for example, are energy and water service markets, tourism and lucrative government procurement contracts worldwide.

Friends of the Earth International representatives from the Belgium, Germany, Norway, the Philippines, Switzerland and the UK are in Doha to convince governments that now is not the time to continue with this 'business-as-usual' agenda.

Tony Juniper, vice-chair of FOEI said:

"If the EU and the US want to demonstrate a new spirit of internationalism they are going about it the wrong way. They could and should be using Doha to demonstrate that now is the time for a new approach to international relations and world trade, one that's fairer and more sustainable.'

FOEI is calling on governments to:

• Keep new issues out of the WTO.
  
• Review the existing rules as agreed in the WTO's Uruguay Round of negotiations.
  
• Phase out talks on liberalising agriculture and start talks on a new multilateral treaty in the UN, focussed on food security, safety, and sustainability
  
• Stop and review the GATS negotiations on liberalising services, ensuring that the extraction or collection of energy fuels, minerals and ore, water, timber, and other natural resources and any services related to nuclear energy are exclude from GATS disciplines
  
• Ensure the TRIPs Agreement on intellectual property rights does not restrict the right of governments and peoples to promote and protect essential public interests including health and the environment
• Prohibit the patenting of life forms
  
• Acknowledge that key multilateral treaties on the environment, development, health, labour and human rights take precedence over the WTO

See the full FOEI report Sale of the Century

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