Global Policy Forum

Joint Civil Society Statement on

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March 12, 1999 The undersigned civil society organisations welcome the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) upcoming High-Level Symposia on Trade and Environment (March 15 -16, 1999), and Trade and Development (March 17 - 18, 1999). Our view is that these two meetings can provide an important multi-stakeholder platform to discuss new, and urgently needed, ways forward on the complex issues of trade, environment and development. With the WTO preparing itself for its third Ministerial Conference and negotiations on the built-in agenda in November 1999, we see these two meetings as providing a valuable opportunity to reflect on the sustainability, equity and human rights challenges confronting the global trading system.

For our aspirations to be realised, however, these challenges will have to be systematically addressed by the WTO, the European Union and its Member States - something they have not done before. The High-Level Symposia will not succeed unless steps are taken now to address certain basic problems with them as currently proposed. Our concerns relate to five key issues, namely: the status of the meetings, their linkage, the approach taken to them, the need for balanced participation, and an action-oriented focus for the meetings:

1. Meeting Status: We are concerned that there has been a progressive downgrading by many WTO Member States to the importance attached to both High-Level Symposia. Originally intended as high-level political meetings to break the log-jam on trade, environment and development issues, the two meetings have now become "Symposia" with no intended political outcome. This indication of a slide in political committment to the two meetings is contrary to the WTO Secretary-General's statement that they would be "...two major events in the life of our organisation" (Annual Overview Report to the General Council, December 1998). Action needed: To remedy this, we call on all Member States to send high-level delegations to both meetings - from ministries responsible not only for trade, but also for environmental protection and social development - and ensure that there is integrated cross-departmental preparation for them. The WTO must actively encourage this and provide adequate support in case of financial constraints. We expect that all relevant UN bodies and multilateral organisations will have been invited to both meetings and be able to participate fully at them.

2. Linkage: We strongly feel that the two meetings should frame their discussions in the context of how trade can contribute to overall sustainable development - an objective contained in the preamble of the WTO charter - rather than perpetuate the artificial, and unhelpful, divide between the environment and development. Governments' overarching human rights obligations must also form the backdrop for discussions, given that both the right to a safe environment and the right to development are internationally encoded as human rights and that the majority of WTO Member States have ratified conventions reflecting these such as the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Rio Principles. Action needed: In order to help bridge the divide between the two meetings, and to promote a properly integrated agenda, both meetings should take a fresh look at some of fundamental issues underlying the trade, environment and development debate. For example, by considering the following questions - which are all the more pertinent in the context of the growing backlash to, and inherent problems with, economic globalisation:

  • How can the multilateral trading system respond to the growing social and gender inequalities and environmental destruction that has accompanied the rapid growth of global trade in the post-war period?

  • How can trade liberalisation be turned from an end in itself, to a means to achieving sustainable human and social development which provides net benefits for both poor people and the environment?

  • What are the implications for greater institutional co-ordination and policy coherence at the international level?

  • What is the role of the WTO in promoting more sustainable and equitable patterns of production and consumption?

  • What is the balance between multilateral efforts (including on trade policy) and domestic measures to address poverty, human rights violations and environment degradation?

  • How can developing countries be supported in their efforts to combat these ills and integrate into the global economy without having to risk domestic social unrest or erode their natural capital? 3. Approach: The current approach to both meetings is a very uncritical one. This is exemplified by the agenda of both meetings, and the only other preparatory document we are aware of, the European Commission's note (113 Committee, MD 649/98, 18.12.98) which focusses exclusively on the positive synergies between trade liberalisation and sustainainable development. Our view is that both meetings would be more successful if they took a more open-minded approach to the subject. In theory, and under the right circumstances, trade liberalisation and sustainable development could be mutually supportive; in practice, however, there are often clear conflicts between trade liberalisation and different environment, social development and human rights (including gender equity and workers rights) objectives. Action needed: The meetings must recognise these very real conflicts and concerns, and focus on how trade rules can avoid causing, or perpetuating, such conflicts.

    4. Participation: We are concerned at the current lack of balance in both the list of suggested speakers for the two meetings and the expected participants, and urge action in three key areas here:

  • List of speakers: Both speakers lists for the two meetings must reflect gender balance and have adequate civil society representation (not only academic and business representatives as in the High-Level Symposium on Trade and Development).

  • Civil Society representation: We call for the involvement of civil society organisations from developing countries and countries in transition. Their participation is vital to bringing a non-governmental, public interest perspective to the discussion and helping connect the rhetoric of debating fora to the reality of poor peoples lives and their real development needs. However, this participation cannot be taken for granted given the often significant financial constraints faced by small NGOs and we call for timely, supportive initiatives on the part of the WTO and Member States to remedy this.

  • Format: To be successful, both meetings must be interactive and allow for participation by all present. We would propose a combination of plenary sessions and specialist workshops. The specialist workshops could address topical issues such as impact assessments of trade agreements from a sustainability, human rights and gender perspective, or the implementation and review of key Uruguay Round agreements such as TRIPs, agriculture and textiles, in an attempt to provide coherence and political relevance to the two meetings.

    5. Action-orientation: At present the High-Level Symposia are focussed more on dialogue than on results. While dialogue is invaluable, the Symposia must also have a clear action agenda towards the next WTO negotiations if they are not to become mere 'talking shops.' We hope that Member States will make imaginative proposals at the symposia to break the deadlock on trade, environment and development issues - particularly in the priority areas outlined below.

    The undersigned groups share a strong common concern with the pace and scope of trade liberalisation and the role of the WTO. We believe that the right conditions are not in place for a precipitous advancement, or expansion, of the trade liberalisation agenda, inter alia, because:

    (1) The implementation of existing obligations under the Uruguay Round agreements, and many of the provisions themselves, are fraught with problems;

    (2) There has been no full assessment of the impact of the Uruguay Round agreements, and any future negotiations, on poverty, inequality, human rights, environment, human and social development (inluding health), gender and labour standards; and

    (3) There has been no corresponding strengthening of the enforcement machinery of international agreements, and relevant UN bodies, on human rights (including workers' rights and labour standards), environment, gender equality and social development, to provide a counterweight to the legally-binding enforcement mechanisms of the WTO and prevent conflicts in Member States' legal obligations.

    We also believe that the WTO is in urgent need of systemic reform if it is to live up to its oft-claimed objectives of sustainable development and bringing benefits through the global trading system to the poorest nations and peoples. Key areas of reform include: (1) Review of the WTO's rules and provisions, and harmonisation of their coverage, to ensure full compatibility with UN agreements on human rights (including workers' rights and labour standards), environment, gender and social development objectives;

    (2) Mainstreaming issues such as environment, human rights (including workers' rights), gender and social development through internal multidisciplinary expertise development and externally through co-operation with appropriately empowered UN and other democratic international bodies;

    (3) Accountability of the WTO both internally to its membership, and externally to parliaments and civil society, as well as to existing international legal norms and standards and the multilateral system at large;

    (4) Transparency and participation at both the WTO and Member State level such that there is informed and democratic decision-making at all levels, and no dominance of corporate interest over public interest;

    (5) Financial, technical and legal assistance to all countries, especially the least developed, who are unable to fully participate in the global trading system or who suffer due to structural weaknesses;

    (6) Flexibility and effective implementation of the 'special and differential treatment' provisions of the WTO trade agreements in favour of poorer Member States; and

    (7) Periodic full impact assessments of trade agreements, as required by the WTO's own mandate and the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, before embarking on further trade liberalisation or the adoption of new issues.

    The two WTO High-Level Symposia are taking place in a significant year for the WTO and at a time of growing backlash to the economic globalisation agenda. They must be used as rare opportunities to reflect, and act upon, the broader concerns expressed above. We look to the WTO and its Member States for strong political leadership in responding to the challenges confronting the global trading system to ensure that trade is made into a tool for sustainable and equitable development, not an end in itself.

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    Signatories: (alphabetical listing)

    AAWORD (Senegal)
    ActionAid (UK)
    African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs
    Agora - Associacao para Projetos de Combate a Fome (Brazil)
    Association of Women in Development Experts
    BUKO Agrar Koordination (Germany)
    Center for Environmental Public Advocacy (Slovak Republic)
    Christian Aid (UK)
    Church of Sweden Aid /Lutherhjalpen
    CIDSE - International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity
    Danish Association For International Co-operation (Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke)
    ENDA Tiers Monde
    Environmental Law Association of McGill (ELAM), Canada
    Eurogroup for Animal Welfare
    Forum Syd (Sweden)
    Friends of the Earth - Amazonia Program
    Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs
    Global Publications Foundation
    GRACE (Global Resource Action Center for the Environment)
    Habitat International Coalition
    Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (USA)
    International Coalition for Development Action (ICDA)
    International Human Rights Association, Germany
    International NGO Committee on Human Rights in Trade and Investment
    KEPA (Finland)
    K.U.L.U. - Women and Development / Kvindernes U-landsudvalg
    Oxfam GB
    People's Decade for Human Rights Education
    Quaker Council for European Affairs
    Rede Dia Mundial da Alimentacao - Povos de Lingua Portuguesa (Brazil)
    Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
    Solidar
    Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations
    The Lutheran World Federation
    Transnational Institute, Amsterdam
    World Development Movement
    World Information Transfer
    Worldwide Fund for Nature - European Policy Office
    Worldwide Fund for Nature International
    WTO working group of the South North Federation

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    For further information contact:
    Malini Mehra
    Policy Adviser
    Trade, Investment and Livelihoods Team
    Oxfam
    274 Banbury Road
    Oxford OX2 7DZ
    United Kingdom
    tel: +44-1865-312279
    fax: +44-1865-312417
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