Archived press release

World trade talks: sale of the century

9 November 2001

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

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

Friends of the Earth International representatives from the Belgium, Germany, Norway, thePhilippines, Switzerland and the UK are in Doha to convince governments that now is not thetime 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 spiritof internationalism they are going about it the wrong way. They could and should be usingDoha to demonstrate that now is the time for a new approach to international relations andworld 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 inthe 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 rightof governments and peoples to promote and protect essential public interests includinghealth 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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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust