Understanding Global Trade & Human Rights Publication of a Report and Resource Guide for National Human Rights NGOs in view of the 2005 WTO Ministerial Conference http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/wto423a.pdf Paris, 27th July 2005 - Over the ten-year history of the World Trade Organization (WTO), distrust and misinformation have controlled the relationship between human rights advocates and trade experts. Yet it is now evident to both 'sides' that trade-facilitated globalisation has profound human effects The interactions between trade and human rights are complex: bidirectional, direct and indirect, and positive and negative. Given this context, and in preparation for the upcoming Hong Kong Ministerial in December 2005, the recent FIDH training seminar on trade and human rights (May 2005) aimed to increase advocates' understanding of the dynamics of global trade and the WTO, and to equip them with practical strategies for making human rights arguments in the trade arena, specifically with respect to the "ecosoc" rights codified in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This report is intended for all of whom are striving to reconcile the gap between human rights and trade. Elin Wrzoncki Program Officer / Globalization and Human Rights Chargée de programme / Mondialisation et droits humains International Federation for Human Rights Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'Homme (FIDH) http://www.fidh.org 17, Passage de la Main d'Or 75011 Paris - France tel : + 33 1 43 55 25 18 fax : + 33 1 43 55 18 80
