Archive - Nov 15, 2013

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) together with 163 other trade union and civil society organisations are raising concerns over a proposed expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA II) being negotiated at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In a joint letter to the WTO members, they argued that the proposed expansion, would lead to erosion of manufacturing potential in developing countries and called for a comprehensive impact assessment of ITA I before taking a decision on ITA II.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) together with 163 other trade union and civil society organisations are raising concerns over a proposed expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA II) being negotiated at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In a joint letter to the WTO members, they argued that the proposed expansion, would lead to erosion of manufacturing potential in developing countries and called for a comprehensive impact assessment of ITA I before taking a decision on ITA II.

Luego de muchas reuniones ministeriales fracasadas y casi doce años de negociaciones, la Ronda de Doha para la expansión de la OMC está en una encrucijada. Los países desarrollados han dejado de lado la negociación de acuerdos clave para los países en desarrollo cuyo propósito es corregir los desequilibrios existentes dentro de la OMC actual, y que constituyeron la base del mandato de desarrollo del Programa de Doha. Aun peor es que los países desarrollados parecen estar re-etiquetando los antiguos reclamos de sus grandes empresas por mayor liberalización y acceso al mercado con el fin de crear una “nueva narrativa comercial” y así obtener acuerdos en la próxima 9ª Conferencia Ministerial de Bali. En esta declaración con las demandas específicas la red Nuestro Mundo No Está en Venta (OWINFS) sostiene que además de una transformación a largo plazo de la arquitectura económica y comercial mundial vigente, se deben introducir cambios inmediatos en la OMC para ofrecerles a los países más espacio político para que trabajen en pos de una agenda positiva de desarrollo y generación de empleo, seguridad alimentaria, desarrollo sustentable, acceso asequible a la salud y a medicamentos, y estabilidad financiera mundial.

After many failed Ministerial meetings and nearly twelve years of negotiations, the Doha Round of WTO expansion is at a crossroads. Developed countries have pushed aside agreements to negotiate on key developing country issues intended to correct the imbalances within the existing WTO, which formed the basis of the development mandate of Doha. Even worse, developed countries appear to be re-packaging the same liberalization and market access demands of their corporate interests to create a “new trade narrative” towards gaining agreements at the upcoming 9th Ministerial in Bali. In this statement with specific demands Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network asserts that in addition to a long-term transformation of the global trade and economic architecture, immediate changes must be made to WTO in order to provide countries more policy space to pursue a positive agenda for development and job-creation, food security, sustainable development, access to affordable healthcare and medicines, and global financial stability.