Archived press release

Blair Challenged Over WTO

4 September 2003

Friends of the Earth is today calling on the Prime Minister Tony Blair and the UK Government to drop support for the inclusion of new topics such as investment on the agenda of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), when it meets in Cancun, Mexico, next week. Armed with dozens of life- and pocket-sized PMs, activists will go to Downing Street to tell Mr Blair whose pocket he should be in.

The environment organisation believes that the current proposals being put forward for the WTO meeting in Cancun will extend the scope and power of the WTO without taking into account the needs of people and the environment. They point out that such agreements will hand over even more rights to trans-national companies, without giving them any responsibilities towards local people or the environment. UK businesses such as Shell and Rio Tinto were criticised by Friends of the Earth earlier this year for causing environmental damage overseas. New rights without corresponding rules will make things worse.

The protest comes in the wake of heavy lobbying by big business and statements from the Confederation of British Industry this week. Friends of the Earth fears that such meetings in the run up to Cancun will have more influence over the UK Government's position on the WTO negotiations than public opinion.

Friends of the Earth corporate globalisation campaigner Eve Mitchell said:

"Tony Blair has been in the pocket of big business for too long. It's time we put him in ours, where he belongs. The UK Government delegation must challenge the EU over its stance on investment at the WTO and make a stand to protect the developing nations now being bullied into accepting such a deal."

Friends of the Earth is calling for a halt to expansion of the WTO and the issues it controls, and for the British Government to act to regulate the activities of UK companies abroad to protect the environment and the rights of local people.

Notes

Friends of the Earth will be present at the WTO meeting in Cancun. Contact details from the press office.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust