---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1999 11:23:50 -0700
From: International Bicycle Fund <[log in to unmask]>
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To: "wa-afr-network @egroups.com" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [wa-afr-network] Fw: (wto) SUPPORT AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT ON
WTO
-----Original Message-----
From: Margrete Strand-Rangnes <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list MAI-NOT
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, September 07, 1999 3:12 PM
Subject: (wto) SUPPORT AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT ON
WTO
>NO NEW ROUND; TURN AROUND EXISTING AGREEMENTS!
>
>Statement of African civil society on the Third Ministerial
Conference
>of WTO
>
>We, the undersigned members of African civil society
representing trade
>unions, social movements and other civil society groups,
are opposed to
>any attempt to expand the powers of the WTO through a new
comprehensive
>round of trade liberalisation. Instead, governments should
review and
>rectify the deficiencies of the system and the WTO regime
itself, as
>part of the ongoing processes within the WTO. We therefore,
call for a
>moratorium on new issues or further negotiations that
expand the scope
>and power of the WTO. In this, we join the worldwide
campaign of
>international civil society against the proposed Millennium
Round, which
>could be launched at the Third Ministerial Conference in
November 1999,
>in Seattle, USA.
>
>
>The Uruguay Round Agreements and the establishment of the
WTO were
>proclaimed as means of enhancing the creation of global
wealth and
>prosperity and promoting the well-being of all people in
all member
>states. In reality however, in the past five years the WTO
regime has
>contributed to the concentration of wealth in the hands of
the rich few;
>increasing poverty and indebtedness for the majority of the
world's
>population; and unsustainable patterns of production and
consumption.
>The Uruguay Round Agreements have functioned principally to
prise open
>markets for the benefit of transnational corporations at
the expense of
>national economies; workers, farmers, women and other
groups in the
>developing world; and the environment. In addition, the WTO
system,
>rules and procedures are undemocratic, untransparent and
non-accountable
>and have operated to marginalise the majority of the
world's people.
>
>All this has taken place in the context of increasing
global economic
>instability, the collapse of national economies, increasing
inequity
>both between and within nations and increasing
environmental and social
>degradation, as a result of the acceleration of the process
of
>globalisation. Those governments that dominate the WTO, and
that
>together with the transnational corporations have benefited
from the WTO
>system, have refused to recognise and address these
problems. Instead,
>they are pushing for further liberalisation through the
introduction of
>new issues for adoption in the WTO. This will lead to the
exacerbation
>of the crisis associated with the process of globalisation
and the WTO.
>
>NO TO NEW ISSUES
>
>We oppose the introduction of the proposed new issues in
the WTO, such
>as investment, competition policy and government
procurement. The
>present Working Groups to study these issues should
continue their work,
>or be closed down. They must not be 'upgraded' into
negotiating groups
>for new agreements. We are also opposed to a new round of
industrial
>tariff reductions.
>
>We commit ourselves to campaign to reject any such
proposals. We believe
>that proposals by EU, Japan and others to negotiate an
Investment
>Agreement are attempts to transfer the utterly discredited
MAI from the
>OECD to the WTO. This should be firmly resisted and
rejected. We also
>believe that government procurement decisions (especially
giving
>preference to local firms) are sovereign rights of our
African countries
>and should not be brought into the WTO. Further,
competition policy and
>law should be domestic issues and not be subjected to WTO
disciplines.
>
>On proposals to pressure countries to further cut
industrial tariffs, we
>wish to state that African countries have already
drastically reduced
>their tariffs (especially under structural adjustment
programmes) and
>this has led to closure of local enterprises and
de-industralisation.
>The WTO should not be used to lock in and further reduce
industrial
>tariffs in Africa and the South. We thus reject another
round of
>industrial tariff cuts. Instead the North should cut its
tariff peaks in
>products exported by the South.
>
>TURNAROUND EXISTING AGREEMENTS
>
>We call for a moratorium on new issues and further
negotiations that
>expand the scope and power of the WTO. During the
moratorium, there
>should be a comprehensive and in-depth review and
assessment of the
>impacts of existing agreements. Effective steps must be
taken to change
>the inherent imbalances and inequities of the WTO system
and in the
>existing agreements. We call for particular action in the
following
>areas:
>
>1. SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL RIGHTS
>
>Special and differential rights are principles, which are
firmly
>established within GATT, in order to correct the imbalances
of the
>system, which work against developing countries. There have
been
>increasing pressures since the Uruguay Round to limit the
scope and
>significance of these rights. These rights must be
reasserted as
>existing rights, which are necessary for the fair and
equitable
>operation of the multilateral trading system. They are not
'favours'
>granted to the developing countries. Developing countries
must see these
>rights as necessary to develop their capacities and to
promote the
>interests of their people within the multilateral trading
system.
>Therefore, we call on developing countries, particularly
the African
>countries, to defend, exercise and expand the scope of
these rights, in
>accordance with their own development needs and aims.
>
>2. AGREEMENT ON TRADE RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS
>(TRIPS)
>
>Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS Agreement should be
reformulated to exclude
>the patenting of life forms; as follows: 'Members must
exclude from
>patentability all living organisms including plants,
animals,
>microorganisms and parts thereof, and any processes making
use thereof,
>and relating thereto'.
>
>In this regard, we support the position as expressed in the
African
>Group paper to the WTO General Council, submitted by Kenya
on behalf of
>the Group. We express full support for the Joint NGO
Statement of
>Support for the Africa Group Proposals on Review of the
TRIPS Agreement
>(Article 27.3(b)). We therefore, call on African political
leaders and
>diplomats in each country to stand firm in their position
and to further
>develop this position with concrete proposals to prohibit
the patenting
>of life forms, and to ensure the protection of traditional
knowledge and
>the rights of local communities over biological resources
>
>3. AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE
>
>In African countries, as in most other developing
countries, small
>farmers form a major part of the population. Their
livelihoods and
>products (especially food) are the main basis of Third
World economies.
>These are threatened by agriculture liberalisation under
the Agriculture
>Agreement. In developing countries, food production for
domestic
>consumption and the measures and policies for the
protection of small
>farmers should be exempted from the Agriculture Agreement's
disciplines
>on import liberalisation, domestic support and subsidies.
>
>4. AGREEMENT ON TRADE RELATED INVESTMENT MEASURES (TRIMS)
>
>In the review of the TRIMS Agreement, we call for an
amendment to allow
>developing countries the right to have 'local content'
policy (i.e., to
>require firms or projects to use a certain minimum amount
of local
>materials) so as to help development of domestic economic
activity and
>conserve scarce foreign exchange. In addition, developing
countries must
>be allowed to take measures for balancing the flow of
foreign exchange.
>Moreover, no new investment measures should be added to the
list in the
>TRIMS Agreement. Nor should there be expansion of the scope
of the TRIMS
>Agreement to cover investment and competition policy.
>
>5. REFORMS OF THE WTO SYSTEM
>
>For most developing-country members of WTO and for the
public and
>legislatures in all member countries there is lack of
transparency and
>democracy in the WTO system and processes -- its rule
making,
>negotiations, monitoring and dispute-settlement. We urge
that the
>Seattle Ministerial Conference take decisions to make the
WTO system
>more open, transparent, democratic and participatory to
developing
>countries, legislatures and civil society. These include
but are not
>limited, to the following:
>
> a.. Consultations, discussion, negotiations and
decision-making in
>WTO have to be truly transparent, open, participatory and
democratic.
>
> a.. Any proposals on rules or for new agreements should
be made
>known in their draft form to the public at least 6 months
before
>decisions are taken so that civil society in each country
can study them
>and influence their legislatures and governments.
>
> a.. All WTO members must be allowed to be present and
participate in
>discussions and negotiations (including in informal groups
and meetings
>where many key decisions are made). The practice of small
informal
>groups making decisions for all Members should be
discontinued.
>
> a.. Legislatures should be constantly informed of
proposals and
>developments at WTO and have the right to make policy
choices regarding
>proposals in WTO.
>
> a.. Civil society should be given genuine opportunities
to know
>about and to express their views, and participate and
influence the
>outcome of policies.
>
>We call on our governments in Africa and other Third World
countries to
>reject the new issues being proposed so that our national
sovereignty
>and development options can be protected, and to demand for
a review and
>reform of the WTO rules and system. We pledge to work with
NGOs in other
>Third World countries in our common struggle on these
issues.
>
>We also appeal to our civil society colleagues in the
developed
>countries, on the basis of our common humanity and in the
interest of
>our common planetary home, to join with us in solidarity
and campaign
>against the proposal for new issues, and for the review and
reform of
>the WTO system and agreements.
>
>SEND YOU SIGNATURE AND ENDORSEMENT TO:"Africa Trade
Network"
><[log in to unmask]>
>
> Signatories
>
>
>1. TANGO, Gambia
>
>2. International South Group Network (ISGN), Zimbabwe
>
>3. ENDA Tiers Monde, Senegal
>
>4. Alternative Information and Development Centre (IADC),
S. Africa
>
>5. Motheho Integrity Consultants, South Africa
>
>6. Development Innovations & Networks (IRED), Zimbabwe
>
>7. Inter Press Service, Africa
>
>8. MWENGO, Zimbabwe
>
>9. Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria
>
>10. CCA-ONG, Mali
>
>11. African Development Education Network (ADEN), Senegal
>
>12. Organisation of Africa Trade Union Unity (OATUU)
>
>13. Friends of the Earth, Ghana
>
>14. Association of Africa Women for Research and
Development (AAWORD), Ghana
>
>15. Third World Network (TWN)
>
> 1.. Integrated Social Development Centre, (ISODEC)
Ghana
> 2.. ActionAid, Gambia
> 3.. Oxfam
> 4.. General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Ghana
> 5.. Africa Trade Network
>
>---------------------------
>
>Distributed By Motheho Integrity Consultants
>P.O. Box 3977
>Johannesburg, South Africa 2000
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>=========================
>
>NEW CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION!
>On the Internet at
http://www.tradewatch.org/publications/gtwpubs.htm
>FOR MULTIPLE COPIES CONTACT PUBLIC CITIZEN 202-588-1000 OR
GO TO
>http://www.citizen.org/newweb/publicat.htm
>
>**********************************
>In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed
>without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest
in receiving the
>included information for research and educational purposes.
>
>Margrete Strand Rangnes
>MAI Project Coordinator
>Public Citizen Global Trade Watch
>215 Pennsylvania Ave, SE
>Washington DC, 20003 USA
>[log in to unmask]
>202-454-5106
>202-547 7392 (fax)
>
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