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People's Forum for an Alternative to the WTO
1. A Day on Social Alternatives to Free Trade Agreements 11-14 September 2003
Organised by Alianza Social Continental - Hemispheric Social Alliance and RMALC
Programme:
General presentation of the day agenda
Rafael Freire, HSA Secretariat
Maria Atilano, RMALC / HSA Women Committee
Session 1: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Grassroots responses to economic integration
Coordination:
Hilda Salazar, RMALC / HSA Women Committee
Tim Wise - Global Development and Environment Institute/Tufts University
- The costs of "free trade". A Trinational Vision
- John Dillon Kairos/Common Frontiers - Canada
- Thea Lee AFL-CIO/ART - USA
- Alberto Arroyo RMALC - Mexico
Session 2: Book presentation: Confronting Globalization; Economic Integration and Popular Resistance in Mexico
Three cases:
- Metalclad conflict on toxic waste, Guadalcazar, San Luis Potosi
Fernando Bejarano - RAMP
- Human Rights, Ecology and Economical integration
- Rodolfo Montiel - Ecologist Farmers from Sierra de Patatlan and Coyuca de catalan, Guerrero
- The building of an including, just nad sustainable agriculture market: The ANEC experience
- Victor Suarez, ANEC (National Association of Agriculture Producers)
Food Sovereignity
- Video presentation: "El hambre no aguanta mas" ("Hunger can`t resist")
by Grupo de Estudios Ambientales (GEA), Comercio Justo Mexico, ANEC, Greenpeace Mexico, RMALC, Sur Sur
Mesoamerican People's Resistance and Autonomy
Coordination: Gabriela Rangel - RMALC / AMP
- CAFTA: the presence of the FTAA in the region
- Faul Moreno, Citizen Action Network against Trade and Investment "Sinti Techan", El Salvador
- The process of resistance to the PPP (Puebla Panama Plan). Mexico and central America: The experience of the Foro Mesoamericano
- Martin velazquez, Mexican Alliance for people autodetermination
carlos aguilar, bloque Popular centroamericano, Costa Rica
The Alternatives to the Mexico - European Union Free Trade Agreement (TLCUEM) in the context of the WTO and the 2004 Latin America - European Union Summit in Mexico.
Coordination: Maureen Meyer, Human Rights center "Miguel Agustin Pro"
- Session 1: The process of building alternatives: Civil society experience
- Brid Brennan, TNI
- laura Becerra, DECA Equipo Pueblo
- Session 2: Civil Society alternatives facing the IV EU - Latin America summit
- Caroline Lucas, Europarliamentary Green Party
Manuel Perez Rocha, RMALC - HSA
- Alexandre Nikichuk, ATTAC France
- Rafael Freire, eto CUT - HSA secretariat
Report on the First Forum on Social Dialogue EU- mexico: Brussels, belgioum, November 2002
WTO, no more power, no new issues
Coordination: Graciela Rodriguez, HSA Women Committee
- Investments in WTO, a trap from the North
- Marita Hutjes, Oxfam
- Go Chee Yen, Third World Network
- Duncan Green, CAFOD
- Role of the state
- Andres Pnaloza, RMALC
- Luisa bernal, South Centre
Book launch: Investment Agenda within WTO. A Trap from the North
People's Forum for an Alternative to the WTO
2. Seminar on Free Trade Agreeements
Co-ordinated by the Our World is Not for Sale Network (OWINFS)
Proposed Programme
Bilateral Trade Agreements: worse than the WTO?
A seminar on Bilaterial Free Trade Agreements, Bilateral Investment Treaties and their relationship to the WTO
Venue: Margaritas Hotel, Cancún City
12 September from 2pm to 5pm (Time and venue to be confirmed).
Bilateral FTAs: Two hours
On Bi-Lateral FTAs
David Waskow, FOE, USA , on US Singapore and Chile FTAs (10 minutes)
Marcos Orellana, CIEL on US/Chile FTA (10 minutes)
Pat Ranald , Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, on
US/Australia FTA , Singapore/Australia FTA (10 minutes)
Dot Keet AIDC/TNI (South Africa) EU-SA FTA (10 minutes)
Manuel Perez Rocha (RMALC), EU/ Mexico, (10 minutes)
Korean Farmers spokesperson KOPA Korea/Chile Free Trade Agreement (10 minutes)
Discussion: 45 minutes
Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITS)
Tom Kruse, CEDLA, Bolivia on Bolivian BITS (10 minutes)
Peter Fuchs, Weed Germany German BITS (10 minutes)
Conclusion: Discussion on WTO, Bilaterals and prospects of campaigns
Notes on Seminar:
Speakers will cover the following themes/aspects:
1) the context of the agreements, and how govets justify them, especially noting the turn to bilateral agreements as the WTO negotiations have stalled, the attempt to reach more exteme agreements than can be obtained through the WTO, and in the case of the US, links with military alliances
2)the main features of the content of the agreements, especially those aspects that go beyond what is likely to be agreed in the WTO. These include the "GATS plus" "negative list" for services and
investment, rights for corporations to challenge laws and sue governments for damages, greater intellectual property rights for corporations, especially in relation to medicines, and any clauses on labour standards or the environment.
3) National campaigns against the agreements and posibilities for international links and solidarity.
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