Archived press release

Major Political Parties Deserve ASBO for Trade Policies

14 April 2005

Anti-poverty campaigners today served the leaders of the three major political parties with an international ASBO demanding that they halt their anti-social behaviour towards the developing world and the environment and that they stop bullying African countries in international trade negotiations.

War on Want, the World Development Movement (WDM) and Friends of the Earth accused the three major parties of not doing enough to stop rich countries, including the UK, behaving like the neighbours from hell by forcing free trade and trade liberalisation policies on poor countries.

According to the Home Office the purpose of ASBOs is to: "target activities which disrupt the lives of individuals, families or communities." Campaigners today detailed examples of the UK's anti-social behaviour towards poor countries [2]:

• Intimidation and harassment of developing countries in trade negotiations.
• Mindless vandalism to developing country economies.
• Soliciting corporate interests.
• Willful damage to the global environment.

WDM has published a comparison of the parties' positions on key international development. It shows that none of them would halt the damaging policies pursued by the UK if they formed the next government [3].

On Friday (15 April) up to ten thousand anti-poverty campaigners will gather in Westminster for an all night protest and carnival of music, art and cinema opposing the UK Government's damaging free trade policies and demand trade justice. They will be joined by a host of top celebrities including Radiohead front man Thom Yorke.

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

"The government's trade policies make its rhetoric about fighting poverty meaningless. The aggressive trade agenda pursued by the UK government and others continues to destroy the lives of millions of people across the globe. Politicians make a big deal of anti- social behaviour in the UK; it's time they played by their own rules on the international stage."

Beverley Duckworth, Head of Campaigns at WDM said:

"Everyday poor countries are mugged by unfair trade. Rich countries have been spotted hanging around trade negotiations repeatedly intimidating developing countries into handing over their economies for the benefit of our multinational companies. It is time to put the rights of the victims first and accept the right of developing countries to protect public services and poor communities from free trade and big business. They need trade justice."

Friends of the Earth Trade Campaigner Eve Mitchell said:

"UK trade policy is damaging the environment by putting business profit ahead of the needs of people and the natural world. Politicians of all parties must recognise that endless pressure for growth at all costs has led to rising carbon dioxide emissions and puts unnacceptable pressure on our already overstretched and threatened environment."

WDM, War on Want and Friends of the Earth are members of the Trade Justice Movement which is calling on the UK Government (whichever party takes power) to ensure that developing countries can choose the best solutions to end poverty and protect the environment. The coalition has written to the leaders of the major parties demanding they adopt policies to stop forcing trade liberalisation on developing countries in areas including industrial tariffs, trade in services and agriculture.

Notes

The ASBO charge sheet - examples of anti social behaviour by the UK:

Intimidation and harassment of developing countries in trade negotiations: Examples: Tanzania was threatened with aid cuts when it opposed EU at the WTO. In current trade negotiations the EU will only make cuts to damaging EU agricultural subsidies if poor countries give European companies access to their financial and communications markets and cut industrial tariffs.

Mindless vandalism to developing country economies: Examples: After being forced to slash tariffs by the IMF and World Bank, the Zambian textile industry could not compete with cheap imports from industrialised countries, and the sector has all but vanished. Employment in the sector fell from 34,000 to just 4000. Senegal lost one third of all manufacturing jobs as a result of an IMF enforced two-stage liberalisation programme in the 1980s. Forced liberalisation of manufacturing markets has also led to dramatic rises in unemployment in Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Peru.

Soliciting to corporate interests. Example: The UK government is a major supporter of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) being negotiated at the WTO. The European Commission has described the agreement as: "First and Foremost an instrument for the benefit of business."

Willful damage to the environment. Example: The UK Government has championed the introduction of GM food and farming to Europe, in direct opposition to the democratic wishes of the electorate both here and in other counties. European opposition to GM is seen to be influential in developing countries. In 8 out of 10 EU votes on GM approvals, the UK has voted in favour. The UK has also voted to weaken the labelling regime for GM food.

For more information on the Trade Justice Movement's demands of the parties go to http://tjm.org.uk/wakeup/letter.shtml. Details of the night of protest can be found at www.tjm.org.uk

WDM's analysis of the development policies of the main parties is at www.wdm.org.uk

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