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19 march 2001
monday
ngos campaign at geneva gats
negotiations
campaigners launch international protest
as wto services negotiations begin
Friends of the Earth campaigners [1] are
in Geneva to critically monitor the current
GATS negotiations and put forward alternative
vision to the neo-liberal agenda at the heart
of the WTO.
Today civil society organisations
representing 30 countries from Africa, Asia,
Europe, North and South America will throw
the spotlight on what they call “a
potentially devastating, largely unheard of,
and profoundly undemocratic agreement”. As
new WTO negotiations begin on the General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS),
citizens will today launch an international
campaign to “stop the GATS attack”, at a
morning press conference at the European
Cultural Centre.
The campaign exposes that new GATS
negotiations could radically alter the role
of governments in the provision of public
services and profoundly reduce the ability of
governments to promote sustainable, equitable
development. Negotiations have so far been
driven by corporate lobbying and continued
largely unobserved. Already more than 200
groups from over 40 countries have signed on
to a statement calling for a moratorium to
the new negotiations. They want GATS to be
the subject of broad public debate with a
thorough and independent assessment before
new negotiations continue.
Panellist Tetteh Hormeku explains why he
has travelled to Geneva: “In Seattle we
exposed the unequal, undemocratic nature of
the WTO but little has changed since then.
With these new negotiations on services, rich
countries and multinationals are once again
in the driving seat. The negotiations look
set to reduce our governments’ ability to
protect and provide for citizens. Our basic
rights are not for sale.”
Alexandra Wandel, Trade Campaigner at
Friends of the Earth Europe: "There is a
pressing need to change the rules governing
international trade and investment to ensure
that they properly reflect society's basic
requirements and democratic procedures. Trade
and foreign investment are not and cannot be
goals in themselves."
For further information:
Alexandra Wandel, Friends of the Earth
Europe Trade Campaigner:
00 49 172 7483953 (mob in Geneva) , 02 542
01 85 (Brussels office)
Marlene Barrett, NGO Press Conference
organiser: 0044 (0)7712 652003 (mob)
Notes for editors:
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Friends of the Earth's Trade,
Environment & Sustainability (TES)
programme web-site:
http://www.foeeurope.org/trade/about.htm
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Interviews: Panellists and other
international participants are available
for interview in many languages:
Speakers at the press conference
include:
Martin Khor, Third World Network,
Malaysia;
Mike Waghorne, Public Services
International;
Mariama Williams, Gender & Trade
Network, Jamaica.
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The joint NGO GATS statement: The
international statement on GATS can be
found on the web at
www.polarisinstitute.org
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GATS press briefing: This is available
at www.wdm.org.uk. More information on GATS
can be found on the web at
www.xs4all.nl/~ceo/gatswatch/gatswatch.html
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