Archived press release

Leave the trade talks on hold

20 September 2006

Anti-poverty and environment campaigners are calling on world leaders not to restart world trade talks that could have a devastating impact on developing countries and the environment.

Friends of the Earth, War on Want and the World Development Movement (WDM) welcome the current suspension of the Doha Round of world trade talks, as it provides an unprecedented opportunity to consider alternative approaches to the failed model promoted by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its most powerful members. Yet instead of reflecting on these approaches, world leaders are attempting to revive the Doha Round and push an unfair trade deal upon poor countries.

The new trade talks are scheduled to take place in Cairns, Australia, on 20-22 September with around 50 countries set to attend. These talks are part of a push to revive the Doha Round and are expected to be followed by further efforts from the European Union in November.

Friends of the Earth Trade Campaigner Joe Zacune said:

"Any attempts at resuscitating trade talks are of real concern for poor communities in the South as the WTO has dramatically failed to produce a deal that would promote development for them. Instead, natural resources such as forests and fisheries have been slated for a corporate carve-up, infant industries looked set to be destroyed and millions of poor farmers faced further impoverishment. An alternative approach to the WTO's corporate-driven agenda is desperately needed."

John Hilary, Director of Campaigns and Policy at War on Want said:

"The world trade talks have done nothing to address the needs of the poorest countries, and no last minute deal will change that reality. The WTO should admit that its free market model has failed to deliver a development agenda and turn to alternative solutions instead. Rather than trying to revive the trade talks, the Doha Round should be allowed to rest in peace."

Benedict Southworth, Director of the World Development Movement said:

"The deal on the table is fundamentally flawed and cannot deliver the promised 'development round'. Even some further concessions from the US on subsidies cannot alter the overall anti-development nature of what is being proposed. Without a major shift in EU and US trade policy, and without a radical change to the way negotiations are conducted, there is little point in resuscitating the round."

The organisations said that world leaders have failed dramatically to put development at the heart of the Doha Round. According to a recent report by UNCTAD, developing countries were set to lose between $32 and $63 billion if current negotiating proposals had been accepted [1]. Even the EU's own impact assessment published in May this year admitted that poorer countries stand to lose more than gain from the Doha Round, including the loss of vital tariff revenue [2].

Notes

[1] Sam Laird, Santiago Fernndez de Crdoba "Coping with Trade Reforms:
A Developing-Country Perspective on the WTO Industrial Tariff Negotiations", p.44, August 2006

[2] The University of Manchester, "Sustainability Impact Assessment of Proposed WTO Negotiations", May 2006

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust