monday 26 august
johannesburg
EARTH SUMMIT OR TRADE FAIR?
Friends of the Earth today exposed the
intense lobbying being carried out by the US
and the EU at the Earth Summit to push free
trade policies ahead of tough targets on
poverty and the environment.
Developing countries have sent a large
number of trade negotiators to the Summit,
while most developing nations have only
environment and
development experts.
The accusations come as business leaders
at the Summit are promoting partnership
agreements which they claim will encourage
sustainable development. But Friends of the
Earth fears the partnerships are no more than
a cover for business as usual unless tight
corporate accountability rules are introduced
to protect people and the environment. The
power of multinationals has increased
massively
since the last Summit in Rio, but with no
clear benefits to the world’s poor, and a
growing gap between the have and
have-nots.
The UN has warned that if we do not tackle
environmental degradation and poverty, the
world will become a more dangerous place,
with increasing risks of international
terrorism. The USA, together the Canada and
Australia, are working against targets to
tackle these problems.
Friends of the Earth has a number of
experts in Johannesburg tracking progress. We
have also launched a website,
www.radioearthsummit.org
providing daily reports from the talks, and
featuring examples of multinationals damaging
the environment and people’s health.
Tony Juniper, Vice-chair of Friends of the
Earth International, said:
“The Earth Summit must prioritise action on
poverty and environmental degradation.
Instead rich countries are pushing the WTO’s
free trade agenda despite evidence that
current trade rules are responsible for many
of the problems we face. This Summit
desperately needs political leadership if it
isn’t going to fail. Tony Blair must fly out
here soon and work with other leaders to get
these talks back on track.”
Ricardo Navarro, Chair of Friends of the
Earth International, said:
"Western multinationals are destroying
livelihoods of communities in the third
world. If these corporations were as
responsible as they pretend here in
Johannesburg, they should all be signed up to
a binding corporate accountability convention
which would make them legally liable for
irresponsible behaviour".
Contact:
In Johannesburg: Daniel Mittler, Earth Summit
Campaign Coordinator, +27 72 401 5394,
Ricardo Navarro, Friends of the Earth
International chair: + 27 72 4015392,
Tony Juniper, Friends of the Earth
International vice-chair: +27 72 4015393
In London: Mike Childs, 0207 566 1649
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