[E-rundbrief] Info 316 - WTO End Doha Round

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 316: La Via Campesina Calls for an End to Doha Round in 
the WTO.

Bad Ischl, 20.11.2005

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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La Via Campesina Calls for an End to Doha Round in the WTO

Press 
release 
Jakarta, November 18, 2005

Trade talks that took place in London, Geneva, and Rome last week to "save" 
the Hong Kong Ministerial have failed. Expectations for the Hong Kong 
Ministerial have been scaled down and a next Ministerial in April 2006 is 
already in discussion. It is time for increased pressure to construct an 
alternative agenda, needed now more than ever.

The governments of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) 
continue to use tricks in the agricultural negotiations, with proposals 
which do not put an end to their dumping. However they claim they do, and 
in exchange they demand that developing countries open up their fishery, 
forestry and public services sectors as well as their markets of industrial 
products for transnational corporations. Via Campesina welcomes the 
increasing resistance of the many countries that do not accept the 
"organised corporate take over" of their economies through these WTO 
negotiations.

The WTO game between the big exporters (EU, US, Brazil, Australia, etc.), 
based on the priorities of low price exports and tariff reductions, will 
not take any steps forward now. This is good news, as the conclusion of 
this "game" would destroy even more family farms, peasant livelihoods and 
local communities world-wide.

For Via Campesina, the next step should be a full cancellation of the Doha 
Round and a major roll back of the power of the WTO. A WTO trade deal, 
accompanied by even more aggressive bi-lateral and regional free trade 
agreements, would have disastrous effects for rural economies world-wide 
and emerging industries in developing countries, creating more 
unemployment, poverty and increased pillage of natural resources by 
transnational corporations. Claims that increased liberalisation of 
international trade and the privatisation of natural resources and public 
services will create jobs and lift millions out of poverty are completely 
false. The contrary is the case!)°

Via Campesina calls upon all social movements to increase pressure on our 
governments in order to stop any further negotiations, to analyse the 
impacts of decisions taken in the Uruguay Round and redefine the role of 
WTO. It is unacceptable that key sectors such as food production, fisheries 
and public services are sacrificed on the "altar of free trade". 
Governments should assume their responsibility and set out policies at the 
national and international level that support and protect these sectors, 
giving priority to domestic production and consumption in order to meet the 
interests and needs of their people. They should use the failure in WTO to 
take up the debate on international trade rules in other venues such as FAO 
and UNCTAD.

WTO out of food and agriculture, fisheries, public services!

Stop the Doha Round!

)° See letter published by 135 organisations in the Financial Times on the 
14 th of November 2005 as a response to a corporate letter in the same 
paper. 
http://www.focusweb.org/mambo-test/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=683&Itemid=36

Contact person: Henry Saragih International Co-ordinator Via Campesina

Tel: 0062-21-7991890 (office), 0062-8163-144441 (cell phone) Email: 
viacampesina at viacampesina.org


Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
     Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
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