News

Survivance des mesures protectionnistes: les pays africains en souffrent

16 December, 2011

Les pays les plus développés mettent en place un nombre d’obstacles toujours plus grand aux échanges commerciaux. En plus de cela, ces grandes puissances campent sur leurs positions, arrêtées depuis longtemps.

Quotes from a variety of civil society experts

16 December, 2011

Aksel Naerstad, chair of the Norwegian Trade Campaign (network organizations of labour unions, farmers’ organizations, environmental organizations, solidarity organizations and other NGOs):

99% Interrupt U.S. Corporate 1% Reception at the WTO in Geneva

16 December, 2011

Tonight, a group of civil society from the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network, present in Geneva for the 8th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), interrupted a United States business cocktail reception using the Occupy Wall Street tactic of “Mic Check!”

Le CNCD-11.11.11 dénonce les méthodes de l’UE et des pays industrialisés

16 December, 2011

Du 15 au 17 décembre, les représentants des Etats du monde entier sont réunis à Genève pour tenter de relancer le « Programme de Doha pour le développement »  de l’Organisation internationale du commerce (OMC). Lancé en 2001, celui-ci promettait de réparer les graves inégalités et les impacts catastrophiques pour les pays en voie de développement résultant des négociations commerciales mondiales conclues depuis 1948 et particulièrement de l’Uruguay Round, conclu en 1994.

US, EU’s ‘Pledge Against Protectionism’ a cover up of crimes of globalization, says PH farmers

16 December, 2011

Reference:  Jim Fernando, KMP Campaign Officer
 
GENEVA, Switzerland – The activist peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines – KMP) today assailed the “Pledge Against Protectionism” statement being circulated and asked for signing by countries headed by the United States and European Union at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
 

Compromiso contra el proteccionismo: Postura de organizaciones Latinoamericanas

16 December, 2011

Ante el Compromiso contra el proteccionismo, impulsado por Australia, Canadá, Estados Unido, Japón y la Unión Europea el día 15 de diciembre del 2011 en el marco de la 8va Conferencia Ministerial de la OMC, y firmado por otros 18 países entre ellos México, Perú, Chile, y Costa Rica, nosotros aquí firmantes, organizaciones de Argentina, Brasil, México y Perú, unidos a los más de 50 representantes de la sociedad civil de 30 países del mundo aquí presentes en Ginebra, Suiza ante la 8va Conferencia Ministerial de la OMC, nos levantamos de una sola voz para denunciar

Public Event on Dec. 16: Accession: What Price for What Benefit?

15 December, 2011
Any country undergoing accession faces tough questions about the price paid for the benefit received.
While accessions are being promoted as a highlight of this Ministerial meeting, it is noteworthy that these are the first since the onset of the global economic crisis.

Press Release: International Experts Joined Occupy WTO in Critique, Offered Path Forward

15 December, 2011

Over 50 civil society experts – trade unionists, farmers, development advocates, and consumer activists – from 30 countries have traveled to Geneva for the 8th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), working through the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Today they joined local Geneva activists at the “Occupy WTO” tent across from the CICG conference center, where they presented critiques of the current negotiations within the WTO, and offered a path forward for the transformation of the current trading system to provide solutions to the current crises of unemployment, poverty, and the under-regulated financial services sector.

Public Event on Dec. 16 / The Future of Trade in Financial Services: Safeguarding Stability / an Invitation by the Mission of Ecuador to WTO

15 December, 2011

Friday, December 16 10:00-11:30 am CET
Centre de Conférences de Varembé (CCV), Room B, 9-11 rue de Varembé, Geneva

Occupy WTO: teach-in in Geneva

15 December, 2011

Program of activities of Occupy WTO, in Geneva

Click here

WTO’s MC8: Some Critical Issues for Developing Countries

14 December, 2011
Analytical Note, December 2011

This Analytical Note provides an overview of the following: issues at stake in MC8 for developing countries and key messages for Ministers; the state of play including the main events that took place in the production of the ‘Elements for Political Guidance’ text; the legal status of the Chairman’s Statement as the outcome document of the Ministerial; important process issues to be mindful of during the Ministerial; a detailed look at the issues in the ‘Elements for Political Guidance’ text; and a paragraph by paragraph analysis of the ‘Elements’ text.

Public Event on Dec. 15: Key Aspects of the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference and Beyond

14 December, 2011
What are the key issues that will be determined at the 8th Ministerial Conference (MC8) of the WTO? How do these decisions relate to the development mandate of the Doha Round, and the global crisis of unemployment? How is the WTO responding to international demands for increased international and national oversight over financial services? What impact are WTO accessions having on the populations of the acceding countries?

OWINFS Programme during People's Week of Collective Action Against the G20 in Seoul

8 March, 2011
Programme of Activities during the People's Week of Collective Action Against the G20 in Seoul, South Korea, November 6-12, 2010

G20 Platform of Common Demands

6 November, 2010
The G20 is an unelected and select group of countries whose membership was originally drawn in response to the financial crises of the 1990s.1 The group came to its current position of prominence as a result of the latest wave of crises starting in 2007, as it had become clear that the G8 were incapable of responding without the collaboration of those from outside their number. The G20 has illegitimately proclaimed itself to be the premier forum of global economic governance for the future. In particular, the G20 seeks to dictate which bodies should be entrusted with responsibility for policing the global economy on its behalf. The G20’s policy agenda is driven primarily by the interests of global capital, as business leaders meet regularly in closed session with G20 ministers in the run-up to the G20 summits.G20 is trying to promote further liberalisation of trade, investment, finance and public services as a solution to the crisis. Recognizing that profound and fundamental change to the system is the ONLY solution to the crisis, member organisations and social movements of Our World Is Not For Sale make the following demands:

Confronting the G-20…A Discussion Paper for Strategic Planning by Social Movements and Allied NGO’s

24 June, 2010

The following paper is based on a document researched and written by John Dillon, entitled, From Pittsburgh to Toronto (and on to Seoul and Paris): What’s On The G-20 Agenda?,  published by KAIROS [Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives] in Canada. In order to provide a background tool that could be used by social movements and allied NGOs for strategic discussion purposes about the G-20, the KAIROS document has been reworked and edited. This task has been carried out by Tony Clarke of the Polaris Institute in Canada. It is a shortened version of the original document but includes many relevant excerpts as well as some additions.The discussion paper that follows contains a summary of 7 key themes that need to be considered in developing strategies for ‘confronting the G-20:

  • Transition from G-8 to G-20
  • Global Crises Management
  • G-20s Economic Crisis Agenda
  • G-20’s Financial Crisis Agenda
  • G-20’s Climate Crisis Agenda
  • Global Trade & the G-20
  • Alternatives for Global Governance

Global trade must serve the interests of sustainable development

2 December, 2009

Trade Unions in the Americas urge governments and trade negotiators gathered in Geneva to fulfill the commitments of the Global Jobs Pact
Victor Baez*

The trade union organizations affiliated to the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) have been closely following the Doha Round negotiations since they were reactivated in 2007. The trade union movement remains mobilized before the 7th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva.

The Meaning of Seattle: Truth Only Becomes True Through Action

1 December, 2009

WTO+10: Before 1999, the momentum of globalization seemed to sweep everything in front of it, including the truth. But in Seattle, ordinary women and men made truth real with collective action.

The U.S. needs a new deal on trade with more opportunities for American exports

30 November, 2009
FOR weeks before the 1999 World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting in Seattle, state and local authorities had known that peaceful protests were being planned around the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. But as I drove through downtown on the night of Nov. 29 and saw waves of people returning from a rally waving placards, I got a sinking feeling that the anti-trade sentiment was stronger than people had anticipated. Was it ever.

Informal Group of Developing Countries COMMUNIQUE November 30, 2009

30 November, 2009
We, Ministers of the informal Group of Developing Countries met in Geneva on 30 November 2009 on the occasion of the 7th WTO Ministerial Conference, to coordinate positions and assess the ramifications of the rapidly changing international trading environment on our countries’ interests;