September 13, 2003 - 08:30 pm GMT
MEDIA ADVISORY - NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Friends of the Earth International
EUROPE AND US PUSH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
TO EDGE OF CLIFF
CANCUN, MEXICO -- A draft text released
today by World Trade Organisation (WTO)
‘facilitators’ completely sidelines
developing country concerns, Friends of the
Earth International said today.
Instead, European Union (EU) and US
corporate interests have been given
precedence over the needs and demands of
developing countries. EU and US bully tactics
have also been used to concoct a text that
effectively ignores critical civil society
concerns about the protection of small
farmers and the environment.
Today’s draft now includes all four issues
known as the 'Singapore issues' (investment,
competition, government procurement and trade
facilitation) despite the explicit and
repeated objections of 75 developing
countries. Previous language indicating
developing country objections has
disappeared.
Commenting on the draft text, Friends of the
Earth International condemned the process
used to reach the draft which handed over the
reins to facilitators, chosen by the Chair,
who apparently have the power to ignore
Member States’ views at will.
Friends of the Earth International Trade
Coordinator Ronnie Hall said:
“This draft shows that the EU and the US
are driving these talks to the point of
collapse. Developing countries here in
Cancun have made their rejection of the
Singapore Issues clear, but their demands
have been ignored. Clearly they are more
interested in protecting their corporate
interests than supporting the developing
world.”
The Doha agreement stated that all Members
must explicitly agree to the inclusion of
these issues. This has not been the case [1].
Legally speaking, ‘explicit consensus’ means
that all member states need to give their
explicit written or verbal consent to
proceed.
Friends of the Earth International
supports those developing countries opposing
the new issues under any circumstances and
believes the process used is scandalous and
outrageous.
Contact Friends of the Earth in
Cancun:
Ronnie Hall + 52 9981 204 587(Eng)
Alberto Villareal + 52 9981 204585 (Esp)
Notes:
[1] Implicit consensus is normal practice in
the WTO, meaning that consensus is considered
to have been achieved if no Member State
objects. Article 31 (1) of the 1969 Vienna
Convention on the Law of Treaties requires
that the terms of treaties or other
international instruments be given their
ordinary meaning in their context and in the
light of the instrument’s object and purpose.
The Oxford English Dictionary (at
http://dictionary.oed.com) defines “explicit’
as meaning “distinctly expresses all that is
meant: leaving nothing merely implied or
suggested.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defines “explicit” as “unambiguous in
expression [with] such verbal plainness and
distinctness that there is no need for
inference and no room for difficulty in
understanding” (http://www.m-w.com).
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