-----Original Message----- From: John Hermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: John Hermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, 12 August 1999 10:03 PM Subject: International Day of Action against WTO >Economic Reform Australia >ERA EMAIL NETWORK > >Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 >From: Michael Papadopoulos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: September 15 - International Day of Action against WTO > >The international Day of Action against the World Trade Organization (WTO) >will be September 15, 1999. There will be simultaneous press conferences >around the world, call-in campaigns to members of Parliaments/Congress, >protests, hearings and teach-ins etc., to launch the international >campaign against a "New Round" in Seattle. We will also release the >international sign-on letter (included in this e-mail). The letter now has >800 organizations signed on to it - we are shooting for 1000 by September >the 15th, and we need your help to circulate it amongst your networks and >contacts. The letter has been translated into Spanish and French, and you >can find these versions at http://www.onelist.com/shareddir/StopWTORound/). >If your organization would like to sign the letter, send an e-mail to >Ronnie Hall at Friends of the Earth, UK ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). > >Start planning this day now, and stay tuned for more information about >events being organized near you. As we get closer to the day, we will >circulate e-mails with information about the events that are being >organized in different countries and cities. Please e-mail us your plans >so that we can compile a masterlist of activities. We will also circulate >a list of national contacts for the day. > >Margrete Strand >Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, US >======================================= > >September 15, 1999 >International Day of Action against the World Trade Organization (WTO) >NO NEW ROUND - TURN AROUND! > >Join tens of thousands of activists around the world in a day of action to >oppose expansion of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is a >powerful, undemocratic global commerce agency which imposes a regime of >corporate managed trade. In its five years record, the WTO has >consistently been used to attack national and local social and >environmental safeguards. For example, the U.S. has already changed the >Clean Air Act rules to comply with WTO demands. > >Top negotiators from WTO's 135 member countries are meeting in Seattle, WA >in late November 1999 to set the WTO's future agenda. Some of the most >eager proponents of the WTO are calling for an ambitious new "Millennium >Round" of negotiations including issues like a global free logging >agreement and an MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment) in the WTO. On >the agenda is also a further de-regulation of agriculture and services >(including health services and education). > >Enough is enough! In its five years of existence, the WTO has proved to be >a disaster for democracy, workers and the environment. Rather than expand >this flawed organization we need a turn-around! > >On September 15, take action and let people know that you oppose any >attempts to broaden the scope and power of the WTO. Here's what you can >do: > >* Call your Member of Congress and both Senators. Urge them to oppose the >launch of a new round of WTO negotiations in Seattle that would expand the >power of the WTO and to instead pressure the Clinton Administration to >endorse an assessment of WTO's record to date so we can identify ways to >change international trade and investment rules to promote fair trade and >sustainable development. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or >toll-free at 1-888- 449-3511. > >* Call the U.S. negotiators and tell them why they must oppose the >"Millennium Round" proposal and why we must conduct an assessment of the >WTO's performance to date. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is the >agency in charge of the negotiations. Call USTR's Charlene Barshefsky at >202-395-6890 (fax: 202-395-4549). You should also call the White House's >John Podesta at 202-456-1414, as well as vice-President Al Gore at >202-456-1111. > >Get all your friends and neighbors to call as well! > >Come to Seattle for the Ministerial (Nov. 29 through Dec. 3)! Activists >from all around the world will gather in Seattle for teach-ins, street >festivities, debates, cultural activities, protests and more! Check out >http://www.seattlewto.net/ for more information on accommodation/schedule >of events/other arrangements or call 1-877-STOP-WTO (786-7986). >======================================================================== > >STATEMENT FROM MEMBERS OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY OPPOSING A >MILLENNIUM ROUND OR A NEW ROUND OF COMPREHENSIVE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS > > Last updated: 4 August 1999 > Signed by that date by > 798 organisations from over 75 countries > >In November 1999, the governments of the world will meet in Seattle for >the World Trade Organisation's Third Ministerial Conference. We, the >undersigned members of international civil society, oppose any effort to >expand the powers of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) through a new >comprehensive round of trade liberalisation. Instead, governments should >review and rectify the deficiencies of the system and the WTO regime >itself. > >The Uruguay Round Agreements and the establishment of the WTO were >proclaimed as a means of enhancing the creation of global wealth and >prosperity and promoting the well-being of all people in all member >states. In reality however, in the past five years the WTO has contributed >to the concentration of wealth in the hands of the rich few; increasing >poverty for the majority of the world's population; and unsustainable >patterns of production and consumption. > >The Uruguay Round Agreements have functioned principally to prise open >markets for the benefit of transnational corporations at the expense of >national economies; workers, farmers and other people; and the >environment. In addition, the WTO system, rules and procedures are >undemocratic, untransparent and non-accountable and have operated to >marginalise the majority of the world's people. > >All this has taken place in the context of increasing global economic >instability, the collapse of national economies, increasing inequity both >between and within nations and increasing environmental and social >degradation, as a result of the acceleration of the process of >globalisation. > >The governments which dominate the WTO and the transnational corporations >which have benefited from the WTO system have refused to recognise and >address these problems. Instead, they are pushing for further >liberalisation through the introduction of new issues for adoption in the >WTO. This will lead to the exacerbation of the crisis associated with the >process of globalisation and the WTO. > >We oppose any further liberalisation negotiations, especially those which >will bring new areas under the WTO regime, such as investment, competition >policy and government procurement. We commit ourselves to campaign to >reject any such proposals. We also oppose the Trade-Related Aspects of >Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. > >We call for a moratorium on any new issues or further negotiations that >expand the scope and power of the WTO. > >During this moratorium there should be a comprehensive and in-depth review >and assessment of the existing agreements. Effective steps should then be >taken to change the agreements. Such a review should address the WTO's >impact on marginalised communities, development, democracy, environment, >health, human rights, labour rights and the rights of women and children. >The review must be conducted with civil society's full participation. > >The failure of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's >Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) demonstrates broad public >opposition to the deregulation of the global economy, the increasing >dominance of transnational corporations and escalating resource use and >environmental degradation. > >A review of the system will provide an opportunity for society to change >course and develop an alternative, humane and sustainable international >system of trade and investment relations. > >This statement is signed by: >{ list of approx 800 non-governmental orgs. } > > >For further information contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >************************************************** >In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed >without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the >included information for research and educational purposes. > >Margrete Strand Rangnes >MAI Project Coordinator >Public Citizen Global Trade Watch >215 Pennsylvania Ave, SE >Washington DC, 20003 USA >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >202-454-5106 >202-547 7392 (fax) >================= > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is the Neither public email list, open for the public and general discussion. To unsubscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=unsubscribe To subscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=subscribe For information on [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.neither.org/lists/public-list.htm For archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
