I am reposting this from Michael's earlier post to relate it to current
discussion from Sylvia Ostry's article.
'Melanie
Michael Gurstein wrote:
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 16:54:14 -0800
> From: Ed Deak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: WTO Chief Proposes World Environment Organization
>
> Forwarded without comment, except: Does anybody believe this sob? Ed.
> >
> >++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> >WTO Chief Proposes World Environment Organization
> >
> >GENEVA, Switzerland, March 15, 1999 (ENS) - The World Trade Organization's
> >(WTO) High-Level Symposium on Trade and the Environment that opened today
> >in Geneva was highlighted by a call from WTO director-general, Renato
> >Ruggiero, to create a World Environment Organization parallel to the World
> >Trade Organization.
> >
> >Renato Ruggiero(Photo courtesy WTO)
> >For the first time, senior trade officials are holding open dialogues with
> >non-governmental organizations in two high-level symposia organized by the
> >WTO: on trade and environment on March 15-16, and on trade and development
> >on March 17-18. Delegates from the 134 nations who are members of the WTO
> >met today with representatives of 26 inter-governmental organizations, and
> >people from 130 non-governmental organizations representing the
> >environment, development,
> >agriculture, trade unions, consumers, academia and business.
> >
> >Discussions in this high level symposium focus on the links between global
> >trade - close to $3 trillion dollars of activity each year - and efforts to
> >protect the global environment.
> >
> >In his opening statement Ruggiero told them, "With the WTO we are poised to
> >create something truly revolutionary - a universal trading system bringing
> >together developed, developing, and least-developed countries under one set
> >of international rules, with a binding dispute settlement mechanism. I
> >would suggest that we need a similar multilateral rules-based system for
> >the environment - a World Environment Organization to also be the
> >institutional and legal counterpart to the World Trade Organization. This
> >should be a main message from this meeting."
> >
> >Saying that he does not belive that the issue of national sovereignty is at
> >stake in this debate, Ruggiero said, "On the contrary, consensus-based
> >multilateral rules - for trade as for the environment - by definition only
> >extend national sovereignty beyond borders. The issue of trade barriers and
> >subsidies which waste precious resources and harm the environment, is
> >clearly one which must be addressed. And most important of all, we need to
> >tackle the problem of poverty - a major cause of the environmental crisis
> >we all face."
> >
> >United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Klaus
> >Toefper agreed that there has been a failure to articulate clear,
> >acceptable trade and environment policies because "too much has been
> >demanded of the WTO and too little has been done in other fora, both at the
> >national and international levels."
> >
> >While he did not specifically endorse the concept of a World Environment
> >Organization, Toepfer said UNEP is ready, willing and able to strengthen
> >collaboration with WTO. Toepfer said UNEP will be gathering essential data
> >on the environmental consequences of international economic policies.
> >
> >"Many countries have identified, for example, environmental and trade
> >benefits of removing price-distorting subsidies. The environmental costs of
> >these distortions are now known to be staggering. Experts estimate that
> >these inefficient policies cost society over $50 billion dollars in fishing
> >subsidies; over $300 billion in energy subsidies and over $350 billion in
> >agricultural subsidies," Toepfer said.
> >
> >Sir Leon Brittan, vice-president of the European Commission, who originated
> >the idea for a high-level meeting on trade and environment, emphasized the
> >principles of sustainable development as agreed by 178 nations at the 1992
> >Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
> >
> >"The key to a successful policy on trade and environment seems to me to
> >pursue in a co-ordinated way that concept of sustainable development, Sir
> >Leon said. "This in turn means that in every area of WTO activity, and not
> >simply the deliberations of the Committee on Trade and the Environment, we
> >need to apply Rio Earth Summit principles. In particular, we need to
> >reconcile the competing demands of economic growth, environmental
> >protection and social development. Pursuing any one of these three at the
> >expense of the other two will inevitably lead to an unbalanced approach."
> >
> >Sir Leon called for the formation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements
> >(MEAs) "so as to have a common base, agreed among as many states as is
> >feasible, for tackling particular environmental problems. These include not
> >only national ones but the protection of global resources, and of course
> >include animal welfare," he said.
> >
> >The problem is that even multilateral agreements are not necessarily proof
> >against a WTO challenge by non-members of such agreements," he acknowledged.
> >
> >President Bill Clinton sent a message to the gathering in which he urged
> >the World Trade Organization to achieve consensus on supporting policies
> >that promote freer trade while protecting the environment.
> >
> >U.S. representatives at this week's meeting will call for further progress
> >on transparency and openness at the WTO and propose the reduction of
> >environmentally damaging subsidies and a pledge by the U.S. to conduct an
> >environmental review of the next round of negotiations.
> >
> >Clinton said, "Sustainable development is a stated objective and mission of
> >the WTO. Achieving this goal will require greater inclusiveness and
> >transparency in WTO proceedings to win the confidence of people around the
> >world."
> >
> >
> >© Environment News Service (ENS) 1999. All Rights Reserved.
> >
> ></HTML>
>
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