Beyond the WTO news

Walden Bello The Crisis of Multilateralism Foreign Policy in Focus, 13 September 2006

Walden Bello Why Today's Collapse of the Doha Round Negotiations is the Best Outcome for Developing Countries 25 July 2006

Dot Keet Key Economic and Political Challenges Arising from the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong [PDF], AIDC, April 2006

The Struggle against the WTO is not over…

The intense international campaign for the unconditional release of the 14 protesters charged in the aftermath of the protest activities against the December WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong has achieved a major success. On Wednesday, January 11th, the packed courtroom at Kwun Tong Magistracy, Hong Kong heard the charges dropped against 11 of the protesters.

The vigorous solidarity campaign had combined a several simultaneous strategies which mobilized protest actions around the world. In Hong Kong, a hunger strike of 12 protesters launched on January 5 won widespread sympathy from the Hong Kong public and protest activities at Chinese Embassies in several capital cities and at WTO headquarters in Geneva gave the campaign a very high profile.

However three (Koreans) are still charged with attacking police officers and are due to face trial in March. They are allowed out on bail and able to return to Korea while awaiting trial. The three Korean protesters have entered strong pleas of not guilty.

It is expected that the international campaign will continue until all charges are dropped.

Walden Bello 11 Released as Hong Kong Civil Society and Global Movements Pressure HK Government 11 January 2006

Beginning The Hunger Strike for Solidarity and : Our Struggle Against the WTO Is Not Over

International Campaign for the Immediate Release of WTO Political Prisoners - from Hong Kong People's Alliance
Profiles of the hunger strikers

Susan George Reflexions sur l'Accord de Hong Kong: L'OMC au service des transnationales TNI Website, 19 December 2005

Susan George reports from Hong Kong:

• Hong Kong Bulletin No. 4 16 December 2005
• Hong Kong Bulletin No. 3 14 December 2005
• Hong Kong Bulletin No. 2 13 December 2005
• Hong Kong Bulletin No. 1 11 December 2005

Walden Bello The Real Meaning of Hong Kong: Brazil and India Join the Big Boys’ Club 22 December 2005

Brid Brennan Postscript to Hong Kong WTO MC 6 23 December 2005

Brid Brennan Diary Notes on WTO M6 - the View from Gloucester Road 19 December 2005

Boris Kagarlitsky A Good No-Go for WTO 22 December 2005

See statements on police brutality by Asian Human Rights Comission

Sunday 18 December 2005: "WTO Fiasco: Lamy spins deception deal at Hong Kong" (Focus on the Global South)

Walden Bello: "This text is a recipe for disaster, and many developing countries will not be able convince people back home that they have come back with a good deal. The intention of the final G20 meeting headed by Brazil’s Celso Amorin and India’s Kamal Nath was to compliment one another to cover up the fact that they have agreed to a disaster". Read more

Video from Hong Kong: TNI Planning Board Chair Susan George on WTO6
Civil Society TV on WTO in Hong Kong
[Windows users need Media Player, Linux or Mac users need Videolan or MPlayer - preferably latest versions]

60 Million people say: WTO take your hands off our food

Hong Kong, 14 December 2005: Campaigners, including TNI's Susan George, delivered the Citizen's Objections to the WTO. The petition was signed by more than 135,000 citizens from 100 countries and more than 740 organisations representing 60 million people opposing the WTO trade dispute over genetically modified (GM) food filed by the US, Argentina and Canada.

Over forty unannounced protestors from across the world joined together inside the opening ceremony of the WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong to protest at the WTO’s ongoing drive towards liberalisation. "We have seen ten years of deceit under the WTO. We are protesting because we cannot continue to watch the WTO take away the lives and livelihoods of farmers, peasants and workers across the world", said Walden Bello, TNI Fellow and Executive Director of Focus on the Global South.

"What we are talking about is a proposal that will increase the indebtedness of Least Developing Countries to the North. Proposals to increase Aid for Trade funding, like today’s announcement from the U.S., will require damaging concessions in the form of tariff reductions from developing countries in return. Such a trade-off would undercut efforts to promote development. Mounting evidence clearly shows that increased trade liberalization does not benefit most countries, particularly developing countries"

From the Walden Bello statement on the United States 14 December "aid for trade" proposal
News conference organised by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Focus on the Global South and Public Citizen.

Recent articles, papers and statements

• Roeline Knottnerus Bolkensteinrichtlijn: Stem 'Nee' 30 January 2006
• GATS-Platform/SOMO Press Release Harde botsing over diensten in WTO Hong Kong, 16 December 2005 [Dutch]
• Roeline Knottnerus and Miriam Vander Stichele Diensten dreigen de dealbreaker te worden in Hong Kong TNI Website, 16 December 2005 [Dutch]
• Dot Keet Why South Africa Needs to Oppose GATS Business Report (Johannesburg), 8 December 2005
• GATS Platform Press Release Dutch GATS Platform Calls on the EU Member States. Stop Unsustainable Liberalisation of Trade and Investment in Services! 7 December 2005
• Joint Media Release 1 December 2005
• Walden Bello Nothing to Gain, Everything to Lose
  Developing Country Prospects at the Hong Kong WTO and Beyond Talk delivered at the Forum "What is at Stake in Hong Kong?" Philippines, 25 November 2005
• Roeline Knottnerus Services Outcome of the Meeting with EU Ambassador Trojan TNI Website, 20 October 2005
• NGO Statement Geneva Update 2: The Negotiations are in Motions 18 October 2005

TNI Activities in Hong Kong

At the occasion of the WTO's 6th Ministerial Meeting, TNI (co-)organises

• Forum on Trade and War Militarism and Neo-liberalism: A Two-headed Monster?
• Seminar on WTO and bilateral FTAs: Complementary Agents of Neoliberalism
• Roundtable Resisting Economic Partnership Agreements in Africa and the Caribbean
• Forum Iraq: Ground Zero of Globalisation and War?

TNI also participates in the International Day of Protest on GATS and Privatisation on 14 December and the Concert to Celebrate International Migrants' Day and People's Solidarity Against the WTO on 18 December. Hong Kong.

Links

• Hong Kong People's Alliance
• Focus on the Global South
• Via Campesina Hong Kong
• BBC's The Battle over Trade

Background documents

Aileen Kwa (Focus on the Global South) Navigating the Draft Ministerial Text (7 December Version) 14 December 2005

Mark Cutis (Action Aid) Trade Invaders. The WTO and the Developing Countries' "Right to Protect" 10 December 2005 [PDF document]

Martin Khor (Third World Network) Critique of the Draft Ministerial Text for the WTO's Hong Kong Conference 27 November 2005

Mark Curtis (Action Aid) 17 Ways the European Commission is Pushing Trade Liberalization on Poor Countries [PDF document] November 2005

Downloadable from Focus on the Global South The Derailer’s Guide to the WTO The answers to your questions on the WTO and how we can together DERAIL the WTO! [PDF document]

From Focus on the Global South: documentary "WTO: Why is it really bad for you" (14 November 2005). This video is crucial for all people to see. It explains what the WTO is, and what is really at stake. WTO decisions have a direct impact on all of us rice farmers, fisherpeople, workers, students and the everyday person in the street, said Mr Chomthongdi, who launched the video.
Click here to download the trailer. - Download the full video [290 Mb]