Press release - 1 August, 2004
Greenpeace warned that the WTO deal in Geneva--agreed many hours after an alleged "drop dead" deadline--is a face-saving exercise that is likely to result in further trade liberalisation at the expense of people and the environment. The deal is designed to allow governments to claim that the WTO trade system is intact, despite massive opposition to its negative social and environmental impacts worldwide.
The Geneva deal shifts most of the difficult issues to future
negotiations. The final compromise is still highly imbalanced in
favour of rich countries, which make vague promises in return for
key concessions by developing countries. Greenpeace is particularly
concerned that the agreement opens the door for further
liberalisation in sensitive sectors such as fisheries and the trade
in forest products and that new offers on liberalising the service
sector are now to be submitted by May 2005. Both decisions could
have devastating consequences for the poor and the environment.
"This deal is not a victory for multilateralism, but a dangerous
fudge. The secretive process practiced in Geneva this week once
again showed that the WTO is an undemocratic organisation mainly
responsive to rich country interests," said Daniel Mittler,
Greenpeace International Trade and Policy Advisor. "Greenpeace
wants a just and sustainable multilateral trading system. But the
WTO does not seem capable or willing to deliver equitable and
sustainable development for all; the WTO only seems to be
interested in ensuring its own survival."
After a week of exclusive behind-the-door negotiations, the
final deal is reportedly the result of massive political pressure
by the EU and the US, particularly on least developed countries.
Developing countries had been blamed and punished by the US and EU
after the collapse of the last WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun,
Mexico last year, even though it was in fact the excessive demands
made by EU and US that led to the Cancun impasse.
The process in Geneva was deeply unfair. Many delegations were
excluded from the negotiations. Some governments had their
ministers present, but many did not. There was not sufficient time
for many delegations to discuss drafts and the final text with
their capitals. Many non-governmental organisations, such as
Greenpeace, were not even allowed access to the WTO building.
Greenpeace calls on governments around the world to truly commit
to multilateralism. As a vital first step, governments should make
it clear that the WTO has to respect all multilateral environmental
agreements, such as the Biosafety Protocol, which the US is
currently trying to undermine through a WTO trade war on
genetically engineered organisms with the EU.
"Governments must stand up for true multilateralism and ensure
that the WTO cannot undermine multilateral agreements that protect
people and the environment," concluded Mittler.