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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. The governments which dominate the WTO and the transnational corporations which 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.
We oppose any further liberalisation negotiations, especially those which will bring new areas under the WTO regime, such as investment, competition policy and government procurement. We commit ourselves to campaign to reject any such proposals. We also oppose the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. We call for a moratorium on any new issues or further negotiations that expand the scope and power of the WTO. During this moratorium there should be a comprehensive and in-depth review and assessment of the existing agreements. Effective steps should then be taken to change the agreements. Such a review should address the WTO's impact on marginalised communities, development, democracy, environment, health, human rights, labour rights and the rights of women and children. The review must be conducted with civil society's full participation.
The failure of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) demonstrates broad public opposition to the deregulation of the global economy, the increasing dominance of transnational corporations and escalating resource use and environmental degradation. A review of the system will provide an opportunity for society to change course and develop an alternative, humane and sustainable international system of trade and investment relations.
This statement is signed by: 50 Years
is Enough: US Network for Global Justice , USA 8th Day Centre for Justice,
IL, USA A SEED, Europe A SEED JAPAN Aboriginal Tourism Authority, Canada
AC! (Agir Ensable contre le chômage, France Accion Ecologica - Friends
of the Earth Ecuador Action Committee Sem-Terra, Netherlands Advocates
for Animal Rights Nassau, The Bahamas Africa Policy Information Centre
(APIC), USA Africa Faith and Justice Network Agora - Associação
para Projetos de Combate à Fome Brasília/Brasil AID/WATCH
(Australia) AITEC (Association Internationale de Techniciens, Experts et
Chercheurs), France AK Weltwirtschaft Nuernberg, Germany Alberta Aboriginal
Tourism Alliance, Canada All Japan Federation of Farmer's Union (Zennichino),
Japan Alliance for Democracy, USA ALT - Ambiente Lavoro Toscana, Italy
Alt ref boku/oeh, Austria Alternative Consumer Association, the Netherlands
Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), South Africa Alternative
to the EU, Finland American Lands Alliance, USA Americans for Democratic
Action, USA AMRASH, Morrocan Association of Research Action for Sustainable
Development, Morocco Amsterdam Solidarity Committee Refugees / Supportgroup
Refugees, the Netherlands Anarchist Now! (United States) Animals Require
Kindness Nassau, The Bahamas Anti-Atom-Gruppe der Projektwerkstatt Nuernberg,
Germany Anti-Atom-Netzwerk Mittelfranken, Germany Anti Fascistisk Aktion-Stockholm,
Sweden Anti-Militarist Research Collective North, the Netherlands APEC
Labour Rights Monitor (ALARM), Hong Kong APEC Monitor NGO Network (AM-net),
Japan APWSL, Pakistan Arawack Cay Fish and Vegetable Association, Nassau,
The Bahamas ARCI - Firenze, Italy Arctic to Amazonia Alliance, USA Asia-Japan
Women's Resource Centre, Japan Asia Indigenous Women's Network, the Philippines
Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange, USA Asia Monitor Resource Center (AMRC),
Hong-Kong based regional network Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development
(Thailand) Asian Farmers Exchange Center, Japan Association d'Entraide
Professionelle (AEP), Lebanon Association of African Women for Research
and Development (AAWORD) Association of State Green Parties, USA Associazione
PROGETTO ARCOBALENO - Firenze, Italy Australian Education Union, Australia
Australian for Ecologically Sustainable Population- South East Queensland
Branch, Australia Australian STOP MAI Coalition, Australia Bahamas Reef
Environment Education Foundation Nassau, The Bahamas Baltimore Action for
Justice in the Americas (BAJA), USA Banaban Heritage Society, Japan Bangladesh
Group, Netherlands Bank Information Center (USA) Barnard-Boecker Centre
Foundation, Canada BEATI COSTRUTTORI DI PACE - Bagno a Ripoli (Fi), Italy
Berne Declaration, Switzerland Blue-Green Society from Sackville, New Brunswick,
Canada BLUE 21, Berlin Working Group on Environment and Development, Germany
Both ENDS, the Netherlands BOX S.E.P.E - Firenze, Italy BUKO Agro Coordination,
Germany Bund Deutscher PfadfinderInnen KV Nuernberg, Germany BUND (Bund
fur Umvelt und Naturschutz), Friends of the Earth Germany California Fair
Trade Campaign, USA Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Southampton, UK Campaign
for Food Safety, USA Campaign for Labour Rights, USA Campaign to Abolish
Poverty, CA, USA Canadian Action Party, Canada Canadian Environmental Law
Association, Canada Casa dei diritti sociali - Firenze, Italy Cebu Environmental
Initiatives for Development Center, Inc, the Philippines CEDETIM (Centre
d'Etudes et d'Initiatives de Solidarité Internationale), France
Center for Alternative Development Initiatives (CADI), the Philippines
Center for Environmental Public Advocacy - the Slovak Republic Center for
Encounter and Active Non-Violence Bad Ischl, Austria Centre de Recerca
i Informacio en Consum (Barcelona, Spain) Centre for Social Justice and
Global Awarness, TX, USA Centre for Food Policy, Thames Valley University
, UK Centre for Gender and Development Studies, University of the West
Indies, Barbados Centro de Debate y Accion Ambiental (Colombia) Centro
de Informacao e Documentacao Amilcar Cabral (CIDAC) Centro Euri de Investigacion
y Promocion Regional, Peru Centro Orientamento Iniziative America Latina
- Firenze, Italy Centro S. APOLLINARE - Fiesole (Fi), Italy Chiche! Jeunes
Ecolos Alternatifs Solidaires, France Christian Centre for Financial Responsibility,
USA Church of Sweden Aid / Lutherhjaelpen, Sweden Citizens' Reaction Against
Pollution, USA Citizens' Alliance of Santa Barbara, USA CISCAP (Committee
in Solidarity with the Central American People), OR, USA Coalition for
Justice in the Maquiladoras, USA Coalition on Women, Religion, Spirituality,
Seattle, WA, USA Collectif Droits des Femmes, France Comboni Missionaries
J & P Resource Center Comitato di solidarietà col popolo del
Nicaragua - Bagno a Ripoli (Fi), Italy Comitato Paul Rougeau contro la
pena di morte - Firenze, Italy Comitato per la Costituzione P. CALAMANDREI
- Firenze, Italy Comitato Scientifico Antivivisezionista, Italy Commission
Socialiste de Solidarite Internationale (CSSI), Switzerland Comunità
dell'Isolotto - Firenze, Italy Comunità di Base Le Piagge - Firenze,
Italy Comunità Emmaus - Firenze, Italy Conference of Social Justice
Coordinators of Southern California, USA Congregation of the Sisters of
the Good Shepherd, USA Consiglio di Quartiere 4 - Firenze, Italy Consolato
ribelle del Messico - Firenze, Italy Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS),
India Consumer Union of Japan Coordinamento Fiorentino della Campagna "Dire
mai al MAI", Italy Corner House, UK Corporate Agribusiness Research Project,
USA Corporate Europe Observatory Cortes Ecoforestry Society, Canada CO.S.P.E.
- Firenze, Italy COS Groningen, Centre for International Cooperation, the
Netherlands Council of Canadians, Vancouver Chapter, Canada C.P.A. Firenze
Sud - Firenze, Italy Craft Centre, Washington DC, USA Dakota Resource Council,
USA Dana Association (A.C.), Mexico DAWN, Fiji Islands DECA Equipo Pueblo,
Mexico Democratic Socialists of America, USA Development Alternatives with
Women for a New Era - a global (South) network Development Fund, Norway
Dire Mai al MAI, national Italian campaign, Italy Diverse Women for Diversity,
India Down to Earth - the International Campaign for Ecological Justice
in Indonesia, UK Droits devant!! (France) DWARS, GreenLeft Youthorganisation,
the Netherlands Earthcare Freeport Grandbahama The Bahamas East Timor Action
Network / Arizona, USA East Timor Action Network, Los Angeles, USA EcoLogic,
Troy New York, USA Ecologistas en Accion, Spain Economic Reform Australia
Economic Justice Now, USA Ecoropa, France ECOTERRA International, Nairobi
Node, Kenya Edmonds Institute, USA Edogawa Grass-root Citizen's Network
on Global Warming, Japan Education and Training Employees Association,
Vancouver, Canada Education Foundation, Pakistan Emmaus, France Emmaus,
Italy Emmaus De Bilt, the Netherlands Emmaus Regenboog, Wageningen, the
Netherlands ENDA Inter-Arabe - environment and development in the Arab
World Energias Alternativas. FUNDAGREA, Venezuela Envirowatch Inc, USA
EPICENTER, USA EpoG - Society for Development Policy, Germany Essential
Action, USA European Federation of Green Parties, Europe FAIR NZ - New
Zealand FEDERAZIONE GIOVANILE EVANGELICA - Gruppo di Firenze, Italy Federer
et Liberer - France Feministische Partie DIE FRAUEN / Bayern, Fuerth, Germany
Focus on the Global South, Thailand Food First/ The Institute for Food
and Development Policy, USA Forests Monitor, UK Foro para el Desarollo
Sustentable, Mexico Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Alimentar
e Nutricional Sustentável - Secretariado Nacional, Brazil Foundation
Searchweb, the Netherlands Free Burma Coalition, USA Friends of the Christmas
Mountains, Sackville, New Brunswick ,Canada Friends of the Earth - Czech
Republic, Hnuti Duha Praha, Czech Republic Friends of the Earth England,
Wales and Northern Ireland Friends of the Earth Finland Friends of the
Earth Middle East Friends of the Earth Netherlands - Milieudefensie, the
Netherlands Friends of the Earth New Zealand Friends of the Earth Norway
/ Norges Naturvernforund, Norway Friends of the Earth - Slovakia Friends
of the Earth Sweden / Miljoforbundet Jordens Vanner, Sweden Friends of
the Earth United StatesFur for Animals, the Netherlands Friends of the
Environment Abaco The BahamasGaia Foundation, UK Front Range Fair Trade
Coalition, CO, USA Gaia Preservation Coalition, Canada GATT WTO Campaign,
Norway Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN) Genetic Concern,
Ireland German-African Association, Berlin, Germany GERMANWATCH, Germany
G.I.T. Banca Etica - Firenze, Italy Global 2000 - Friends of the Earth
Austria Global Exchange, USA Global Forum on Sustainable Food and Nutritional
Security- Global Executive Secretariat Global Response, USA Global Labour
Institute Globalisation Challenge Initiative, USA Good Shepherd Social
Justice Network, Australia and New Zealand Goucher College Students for
Peace and Non-Violent Action, MD, USA Greater Sacramento Chapter of the
Alliance for Democracy, USA Green Library, Latvia Green Korea United, Korea
Green Party of Canada Greens, Green Party USA Group KIKI, Japan Group de
Recherche en Agriculture Biologique, France GROUPE DEVELOPPEMENT (France)
Gruppo Economia E.Balducci - Badia Fiesolana - Firenze, Italy Gruppo Verdi
- Firenze, Italy Guido España Barrios, Bolivia Happiness Academy,
Australia Happy Planet Foods, Canada Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, Paia, Hawai'i
Hawai'i Pesticide Project, Honolulu, Hawai'i Heartwood, IN, USA Hightower
Radio, TX, USA Hope for Change, Iligan City, Philippines Humboldt Centre,
Nicaragua IL FILO ROSSO Associazione di cultura e politica - Firenze, Italy
IL MURETTO Associazione di volontariato - Firenze, Italy IL POZZO Cooperativa
sociale - Firenze, Italy IL VILLAGGIO DEI POPOLI - Firenze, Italy Indigenous
Peoples' Biodiversity Network, Peru INRA Centre Antille-Guyane, Guadeloupe
Institute for Popular Democracy (IPD) - Philippines Institute for Global
Futures Research (IGFR), Australia Institute of Interdisciplinary Study
and Research (Germany) Instituto Latinoamericano de Servicios Legales Alternativos,
Colombia Interface Trading, Senegal International Coalition for Development
Action (ICDA), Belgium International Committee Against Disappearences International
Forum on Globalization (IFG), USA International Human Rights Association,
Germany International Labour Rights Fund International Alliance for People's
Developments International Campaign for Responsible Technology International
South Group Network (ISGN), Harare, Zimbabwe International People's Health
Council (IPHC) Southeast Asia/Pacific & North East Asia Intitute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy (USA) Institute for Alternative Community
Development, Japan Institute for Cultural Ecology Institute Justice Team,
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, IL, USA Institute of Central American
Studies, Costa Rica Island Expedition Nassau, The Bahamas ITALIA NOSTRA
- Firenze, Italy Jobless People's Interests Union Amsterdam, the Netherlands
JustAct, Youth ACTion for Global JUSTice KAIROS EUROPA, Heidelberg, Germany
Kalmiopsis Audubon Society, USA Kalpavriksh - Environmental Action Group,
India KATAWHAN MO, Ozamiz City, Philippines Komitee Widerstandgegen das
MAI, Germany L' ALTRACITTA', giornale della periferia - Firenze, Italy
Lanao United Peasant Association (LUPA), Mindanao, Philippines Latin America
Center Social Ecology (CLAES), Uruguay LEGAMBIENTE - Firenze, Italy LES
ALTERNATIFS (France) Les Peripheriques Vous Parlent, France LETS Victoria,
BC, Canada LightHawk, Seattle, WA, USA Ligne Blanche, France Ligue Communiste
Revolutionnaire (LRC), France London Human Rights Forum, UK Lookat/Watchdog
Los Verdes, España LUNDUAN, Iligan City, Philippines MAGIC, Stanford,
CA, US MAI niet gezien! anti-MAI campaign, the Netherlands MAID, the Netherlands
Manitoba MAI Awareness Coalition, Canada Mama Cash, Funding Organisation
for Women, the Netherlands MANI TESE - Firenze, Italy Memphis Audubon Society,
TN, USA Menorah Jewish Network, Albury Australia Metro-Detroit Alliance
for Democracy, USA Mesa Nacional Campesina de Costa Rica, Costa Rica Mexican
Action Network on Free Trade (Mexico) Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition, USA
MoKan Alliance for Democracy, Kansas City, USA Moviment ghalt Ambjent,
Friends of the Earth (Malta) Movimiento AgroEcologico Chileno, Chile Movimiento
Contra la Europa da Maastricht y la Globalizacion Economica, Spain National
Association of Consumers from Venezuela (ANC), Venezuela National Centre
for Sustainability, Canada National Union of Third Worldshops Region Schagen,
the Netherlands Native Forest Council, USA Native News Network of Canada
Nature and Youth (Friends of the Earth, Youth Branch), Norway NCOS (National
Centre for Development Corporation), Belgium Nea Ecologia / Friends of
the Earth - Greece Nei til EU, Norway Netherlands Committee for IUCN, the
Netherlands Network for Environment and Economic Responsibility of the
United Church, USA New Raza Left - Los Angeles, USA New Economics Foundation,
UK New Paltz Green Party, USA NEWS! the Network of European World Shops,
Europe Northwest Environmental Defense Center of Portland, USA Norwegian
Committee for Solidarity with Latin America, Norway Nova Scotia Public
Interest Research Group, Canada Novalis Institute, South Africa Obiettori
di coscienza alle spese militari - Firenze, Italy Observatoire de la Mondalisation,
France Observe Respect & Compassion for Animals (ORCA), Pacifica, CA,
US Ocean Watch Bahamas Nassau The Bahamas Odhikar: A Coalition for Human
Rights, Bangladesh Ohio Fair Trade Campaign, OR, USA Oikos. Journal for
Politics, Environment and Culture (Belgium) Oilwatch Mesoamerica, Guatemala
OtherWise, Interdisciplinary Research and Education on Sustainable Development,
the Netherlands Oxfam-Solidarity, Belgium Oxfam-Wereldwinkels, Belgium
Oxfam-Solidarity, Belgium Pacific Environment and Resources Center, Oakland,
CA, USA Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC), Tokyo, Japan Pacific Environment
and Resource Center, CA, USA Pacifist Socialist Party '92, the Netherlands
Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Forest Protection Group in Japan (PSFPGJ),
Japan PCPE (Partido Comunista de los Pueblos de Espanya), Spain PAX CHRISTI
- Firenze, Italy Pax Romana ICMICA (Thailand) Peace and Justice Centre
of Southern California, USA Peace and Justice Task Force, United Church
of Christ, Rocky Mountain Conference, USA Pennsylvania Consumer Action
Network, USA People Against Racist Terror (PART), USA People and Planet
network, UK People's Movement, Australia People's Forum 2001, Japan Pesticide
Action Network, North America Pesticide Trust, UK Pestizid Aktions- Netzwerk
e.V. (PAN Germany) Philippine Greens, the Philippines PLADES, Peru Play
Fair Europe!, European Union Polaris Institute (Canada) Positive Futures
Network, USA Preamble Center, United States PRESS, Save the Children youth,
Norway PRLDEF Institute for Puerto Rican Policy Inc, USA PROGETTO CONTATTO
- Firenze, Italy Programa Semillas (Fundacion Swissaid - Colombia) Progressive
Bookshop Rosa, the Netherlands Project South: Institute for the Elimination
of Poverty and Genocide, GA, USA Pryority One Carpentry - Australia Public
Interest Research Group, India Public Citizen, USA Rainforest Action Network
RAPALMIRA, PAN - Colombia RAPAM Coordinator Mexico Reclaim Australia Red
de Permacultura Mexico Red Electoral Alliance, Norway Red Green Alliance,
Denmark Rede Dia Mundial da Alimentação- Povos de lïngua
Portuguesa.Ponto Focal Global, Brazil REDES Amigos de la Tierra - Friends
of the Earth Uruguay reEarth Nassau, The Bahamas Reform Party of Rancho
Mirage, USA Regional Environmental Action League, MN, USA Resource Center
of the Americas, USA Rethinking Tourism Project, MN, USA Research Foundation
for Science, Technology and Ecology, India Resource Centre of the Americas,
USA Revolution, Norway Rhode Island Chapter of the Alliance for Democracy,
USA Rights for all that live, the Netherlands RMALC (Mexican Network for
Action on Free Trade), Mexico Rural Education Action Project: Rural Vermont,
USA Salzburg Forum Against the MAI, Austria San Mateo County Peace Action
- USA Sarawak Campaign Committee Save The Exuma Sea Park Exuma Bahamas
Shuswap Barter Network Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, USA Sindicato Labrego
Galego, Spain Sisters of Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Tokyo-Shinjuku
community), Japan Sisters of the Holy Names CA Justice and Peace Committee,
USA Sisters of the Holy Names, CA Leadership Team, USA Sisters of Benedict,
Oklahoma, USA Site for Social Action-USA Social Justice Committee of the
Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, WA, USA Socialist Party of
Labor, Philippines Socialist Workers Party, the Netherlands Society for
the Peoples of the Rainforest, Switzerland Socio-Ecological Union International,
international network SOLIFONDS (Solidarity fund for the social struggles
for liberation in the third world), Switzerland South Asia Community Center
for Education and Research, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India South Australian
Genetic Food Information Network, Australia Southampton Animal Concern,
UK Stichting De Brandnetel, the Netherlands Stichting Promotie, Arabic
and Turkish Woman and Family, the Netherlands Stichting Aarde, the Netherlands
Supportgroup for Jobless People Wageningen, the Netherlands Sussex Society
for the Public Interest, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada Sustainable Alternatives
to the Global Economy (SAGE) Sustainable Economics (magazine of the Green
Party, UK) Swedish Consumer Coalition, Sweden Swedish Society for Nature
Conservation, Sweden Targetti Sandro, presidente Commissione Pace Comune
di Firenze, Italy Tartu Student Nature Protection Group, Estonia Tebtebba
Foundation (Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research
and Education), the Philippines Tenessee Industrial Renewal Network (TIRN),
USA TERRA E LIBERTÀ - Campi Bisenzio (Fi), Italy TESTIMONIANZE Associazione
Culturale - Firenze, Italy Third World Network Towards a Different Europe
TRANET, US Transnational Institute, Amsterdam Transnational Resource and
Action Center, USA Tri-people Partnership for Peace and Development (TRIPEACDEV),
Ozamiz, Mindanao Philippines TRIPEACEDEV-ZN, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
TRIPEACEDEV-LS, Lanao del Sur, Philippines TRIPEACEDEV-ZS, Zamboanga del
Sur, Philippines TRIPEACEDEV-LN, Lanao del Norte, Philippines TUC Radio,
San Francisco, USA Umvelt-und Projektwerkstatt Freiburg, Germany United
Church of Christ Network for Environmental and Economic Responsibility,
USA Union for people on the Dole Amsterdam, the Netherlands United for
a Fair Economy, USA United Steelworkers of America, Los Angeles/Orange
Countries Legislative Committee, USA University of New England, Australia
University of Wisconsin - Madison Greens, USA University-Young Women (U-YW),
MN, USA Urgeworld, Germany V.P. Cross Border Network for Justice and Solidarity,
Kansas City, USA Vancouver Chapter Council of Canadians, Canada VENA Library
and Information Services on Gender, Social Change and Development, the
Netherlands Victoria MAI-DAY Network of BC, Canada Visaya Management Consultancy
Inc, Cebu City, Philippines Visions in Action, Washington DC, USA WALHI
/ Friends of the Earth Indonesia Waterview Publishing, Canada Weltladen-Dachverband,
Germany Windsor Area MAI-day Coalition for Human Rights, Canada Windsor
and Area Coalition for Social Justice, Canada Wisconsin Fair Trade Campaign,
USA Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua, USA Women's Intercultural
Network (WIN), San Fransisco Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom (WILPF), BC, Canada Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom (WILPF), France Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF), International Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF), USA Women's Information Centre Nicaragua, the Netherlands Women's
Resource Centre, Pakistan Working Group Against the MAI and Globalisation
- Turkey Workinggroup North-South FNV Labour Union Groningen, the Netherlands
Workinggroup Towards A Feminist Europe, the Netherlands WorkSafe! South
- Los Angeles, USA World Rainforest Movement, Uruguay World Economy, Ecology
and Development (WEED), Germany W.W.F. - Toscana, Italy Youth Approach
for Development and Cooperation (YADC), Bangladesh Youth Environment Active,
the Netherlands Last updated 23 April 1999 contact: ronnieh@foe.co.uk