Home > Press releases > 2002
03 Apr 2002
Issued by Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace International, Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED) - Sierra Club - Third World Network
As governments meet in New York to prepare the Earth Summit in Johannesburg,
international environment groups have issued a joint statement calling on the
Johannesburg Summit to ensure that Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)
are not subordinated to or undermined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace International, Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED), Sierra Club and Third World Network say there is an urgent need for governments to save MEAs from WTO takeover. Several global agreements have suffered from a *chill effect* as some governments have claimed that they are not compatible with WTO rules.
At the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, WTO Members decided to launch
negotiations on the relationship between MEAs and trade rules. Negotiations
will bear first results in mid 2003, but it is not clear whether the
outcome will be positive or negative for the further development of
Meas.
With the forthcoming Word Summit for Sustainable Development, the NGOs
see a unique chance for governments to:
David Waskow of Friends of the Earth International said:
"Multilateral Environmental Agreements must be fully recognised and
strengthened as a countervailing force to WTO rules. At stake here is
whether global governance will in fact protect people and the planet."
Remi Parmentier of Greenpeace International commented:
"Our hope is that in Johannesburg, Heads of State and Government
will agree where trade ministries have failed, and get on with redefining
a trade regime that works for all, including the environment."
Chee Yoke Ling of Third World Network said:
"During and since Rio, a number of major MEAs * including the Convention
on Biological Diversity, Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, Persistent Organic
Pollutants Convention, and Kyoto Protocol * have been negotiated with
universal intergovernmental participation. These agreements should not
be subordinated to WTO rules."
Pieter van der Gaag of ANPED said:
"MEAs are not negotiated to undermine trade rules. They are negotiated
to solve the environmental problems we face. Subordinating MEAs to the
WTO would limit our ability to protect our planet."
For the full statement see www.foei.org
UN member governments have an opportunity in Johannesburg to make a
clear
statement concerning the relationship between Multilateral Environmental
Agreements (MEAs) and WTO trade rules, in order to reaffirm the authority
and autonomy of MEAs and to ensure that MEAs are not subordinated to
or
undermined by the WTO.
At the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in Qatar, WTO Members decided to launch
negotiations on the relationship between MEAs and trade rules because there has
been some uncertainty about the relationship between certain MEA provisions
and WTO trade rules. Today, around 20 MEAs have trade-related provisions.
It is known that due to the rapid development of WTO rules with strong enforcement
measures, the implementation of some MEA trade provisions have suffered from a
"chilling" effect, with some members arguing that some MEA trade provisions would
not be compatible with WTO rules. Negotiations will come to first results at the next
WTO Ministerial Conference in Mexico in mid 2003.
At stake here is the very question of global governance, where the MEAs represent
a rare and strategically important space in today's international governance
architecture to protect people and the planet. They must be defended and
strengthened as a countervailing force to WTO rules.
During the preparatory process for, as well as at, the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, the World Summit on Sustainable Development should:
Signatories:
Friends of the Earth International
Greenpeace International
WWF International
Third World Network
Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED)
Sierra Club
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
