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Title: Avoid trading away the planet 貿易發展要先保護地球 Post by HKBWS Project on Dec 14th, 2005, 12:49pm BirdLife International: http://www.birdlife.org/news/pr/2005/12/wto.html EU urged to lead the world to avoid trading away the planet 12-12-2005 NGO alliance calls for the EU to ensure the environment and people are part of the trade equation As global decision-makers gather for the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong this week, BirdLife International, Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace International are urging the EU to lead demands for drastic changes in the global trade system to ensure the planet is protected and not destroyed by international trading. The three organizations are united in calling for a major realignment of the current WTO agenda, in which trade policies, focused only on achieving trade goals, are exacerbating major environmental problems. Fears are mounting that discussions in Hong Kong will continue to tiptoe around major global issues; such as the destruction of natural habitats and wildlife, climate change and escalating poverty. This week’s meeting is crucial in setting the future direction for trade policies, which have an impact on all aspects of society and the planet, when a framework for trade in agriculture, services and industrial goods will be set. That framework will lead to trade deals between nations, which are scheduled for completion by the end of 2006. Amongst the adjustments that the NGO alliance wants to see put in place, the following three are considered top priorities: 1. An end to negotiating in the dark: at the moment no one knows what the impacts of a trade deal in many areas will be for people and the environment. Governments must initiate complete social and environmental reviews of the different areas of trade negotiation to feed into negotiation positions. 2. A hold on negotiations until the lights can be turned on: In the key areas of Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) and trade in services (GATTS), negotiations aim to liberalise and thus increase the trade in products, from timber to water. This affects people and the management of natural resources everywhere. Governments must suspend these negotiations to allow for impact studies, and the EU must end aggressive attempts to get commitments in these areas from developing countries. 3. A switch to support for sustainable agriculture: Agriculture directly affects the well-being, culture and economic prospects of the 1.3 billion people who depend on farming, while the expansion and intensification of agriculture is the greatest threat to global biodiversity. A deal on agriculture which fails to account for this could therefore spell disaster for people and the environment unless governments re-orient the negotiations towards serving the goals of sustainable agriculture, and bring the dumping of agricultural products on world markets to a speedy end. Harry Huyton, BirdLife International, said "We need a joined-up response in Hong Kong to the inseparable challenges of ending poverty and protecting the environment." "The WTO must stop pursuing the current agenda of trade liberalisation at any cost. Governments have already committed to addressing these top priority issues at International level, through, for example Millennium Development Goals and various Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). Negotiations can either retreat from these challenges, hiding behind the dogma that trade liberalization is inherently positive, or they can seek to tackle them head on, meet their commitments to sustainable development and ensure a better future for us all." said Daniel Mittler, Greenpeace International. "As a key player in the trade negotiations, the EU has a responsibility to take the lead in ensuring a sustainable outcome for all. Our organizations, together representing many millions of members worldwide hopes that the EU will meet this responsibility and support our call not to trade away our planet.” said Alexandra Wandel, Friends of the Earth Europe. ENDS Contacts: Harry Huyton, BirdLife International tel: +44 7974701924 or Sara Sharpe tel: +31 (0) 612926439 Alexandra Wandel, Friends of the Earth Europe, tel +49 (0)172 748 39 53, in Hong Kong (12-20 December) +852 6125 7644 Daniel Mittler, Greenpeace International, tel: +852 9764 6990 |
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