Salam, Di pertemuan di kota Seattle, di AS akhir tahun ini, WTO (World Trade Organization) akan menentukan ulang, siapa yang bayar ongkosnya pekerjaan merusak lingkungan hidup: kami pembayar pajak atau perusahaan-perusahaan global. Apakah ini WTO? Selamat membaca! Sini Sent: Sunday, October 10, 1999 6:18 AM Subject: Why Free Trade Is A Myth > The Independent [London] > Sunday, October 10, 1999 > > Why free trade is a myth > > Multinationals now dictate almost every aspect of life, but a chance has come > for reform, argues Barry Coates > > Before the end of this millennium there will be massive protests and civil > disobedience by unruly activists who say they are trying to stop a takeover > of the world. This is not a fanciful prediction - it will happen. The venue > is Seattle, USA. The target is the World Trade Organisation. At stake are the > rules that will shape the future of the world economy. Tomorrow trade > ministers from the countries of the European Union meet in Luxemburg to > hammer out what line they will take at the WTO meeting in two months' time. > > These protesters have been characterised as loony lefties, extreme right- > wingers or luddites. But to others, they are the shock troops for the > majority whose voice has been ignored for too long. They will be joined in > Seattle by the mainstream of so-called "civil society": trade unions, > consumer groups, farmers, indigenous people, anti-poverty campaigners, aid > agencies, academics, churches, environmentalists, animal rights activists and > women's groups. More than 1,200 of these organisations from 85 countries have > agreed a joint statement on the priorities for world trade. Their agenda is > deadly serious, well-researched and compelling. > > On the other side are the world's largest multinationals and their powerful > lobby groups. They are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for access to > the politicians who will agree a future agenda for the WTO. Depending on whom > you listen to, they are either regarded as the means to economic progress or > the masters of the universe, seeking huge power and profits through > exploiting people and the environment. > > Most people know little about the WTO. It was formed in 1995 to lower > tariffs, remove trade barriers and resolve trade disputes. But there are real > concerns that something is going terribly wrong with the rules that govern > world trade. The heaviest losers are the powerless, especially the world's > poor. Trade is often justified on the basis that it helps poor countries to > develop. However, instead of exports from the poorest countries being > boosted, their share of world trade has fallen dramatically. The effects have > been devastating. Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole is poorer than it was 30 > years ago. > > A major problem is the plummeting prices they face for their commodity > exports. Multinationals have gained a stranglehold over the supply chains - > just four companies in each industry control 90 per cent of exports of corn, > wheat, coffee, tea and pineapples. To make matters worse, rich countries > subsidise their farmers by twice as much as the Third World earns from its > total agricultural exports. And WTO rules block attempts by poor countries to > diversify their economies. > > Meanwhile rich countries have used every legal loophole to avoid fulfilling > their obligations to free up trade in agriculture and textiles. It is little > wonder that the chair of the developing countries group (the G77) is calling > for Seattle to "review, repair and reform". But there is another problem. The > WTO elevates economics over all else. So it has overturned laws to protect > turtles and dolphins, banned the EU's support for banana farmers in the > Caribbean, outlawed restrictions on the use of leg traps in the fur trade, > and overruled the EU's ban on imports of beef injected with growth hormones. > We can expect more. Canada is disputing an EU ban on asbestos, while the US > has promised its agri-business lobby to challenge the EU's regulations on > planting genetically modified crops and the labelling of GM foods. > > The fundamental philosophy of the WTO is to blame. Its notion of free trade > relies on assumptions that are wildly unrealistic in a world where > multinationals control 70 per cent of world trade; where environmental costs > of production are loaded on to taxpayers instead of companies; where > information is controlled through advertising and patent laws; and where > corporations get away with forming secret cartels and avoiding tax. Small > companies, especially those from poor countries, have little chance to > compete. It is like a schoolboy climbing into a ring with Mike Tyson. The > rules may be the same for both, but competition is short and brutal. > > It is clear that the WTO is failing. This is acknowledged by the high priests > of free trade. At a recent seminar, Arthur Dunkel, the former head of WTO's > predecessor, asked: "Who is driving the process in trade policy - governments > or the business community?" He said that, whatever the answer, there is > collusion between government and business. > > The overwhelming evidence is that reform is required. Yet the British > government and the EU have proposed an ambitious agenda of further trade > liberalisation. Despite the huge failings of the WTO, the EU wants to greatly > expand its mandate. It is pushing an investment agreement that is almost > identical to the notorious Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), which > was dropped after a worldwide public outcry. The new proposals repeat the > same mistakes as the MAI, creating new rights for multinationals without any > enforceable responsibilities towards the societies and communities in which > they invest. > > Meanwhile the US has Europe's health and education services in its sights. > The US Trade Representative is pressing for further privatisation there - and > American companies are salivating over the prospect that they may be able to > cash in on this. There are 160 service sectors potentially on the list for > liberalisation. The British government has provided voters with little > information on the profound impact that such moves could have. > > There are three important problems that need solving. There needs to be a > better balance of interests in trade. That means the EU and US must stop > using their economic and political power to further the interests of their > multinationals. It is time to stop the rush for the liberalisation of trade > and the plans to extend the WTO's powers. Instead, the EU should agree to > lift all restrictions on the tiny amount of goods and services exported by > the poorest countries - and not at the price of forcing them to accept new > agreements that are not in their interests. > > Next, international regulation must must become a new priority. The recent > financial crisis in Asia shows that liberalisation without strong regulation > benefits speculators but destroys productive economies. Companies have > globalised, but the rules have not. Instead of deregulation a strong UN > system is needed to enforce decent rules to protect the world's poor, > consumers, workers and the environment, and curb the powers of multinationals. > > Finally, trade negotiations need to be made democratic. Rule-making in the > WTO is supposedly by consensus among its 134 member countries; but in > practice the most powerful countries are able to dominate. National > parliaments should, in theory, exercise control over all this, but few MPs > have objective information on the WTO or any opportunity to influence the > Government's position. At a time when the Conservative Party is up in arms > over the giving away of powers to the EU, far more powers are being given to > unaccountable international institutions. Democracy must be made to work. > > Tomorrow Richard Caborn, the UK Minister for Trade, meets his EU colleagues > to agree a negotiating stance at the Seattle meeting on 30 November. It is > not too late for the Government to change its position. > > > Barry Coates is director of the World Development Movement. > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulai langganan: kirim e-mail ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] Stop langganan: kirim e-mail ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive ada di http://www.mail-archive.com/envorum@ypb.or.id dan di http://www.egroups.com/list/envorum
