Message from Doha George Becker and Bill Klinefelter Reporting
Today the WTO and its agents began the process of telling us "outsiders" here in Doha the way it's going to be. We can forget labor rights. The high point for that was in Seattle when President Clinton told the world that the WTO could no longer afford to ignore labor rights. Since then international corporations have worked overtime to sow the seeds of fear in the minds of governments of the less developed world. We are being told that even the toothless declaration on labor rights agreed to in Singapore in 1996 is too strong for the WTO -- it must go!
The apparent goal of the WTO at this session in Doha is to eliminate forever the idea that trade and labor rights can or should be linked. The ICFTU and some governments like South Africa, are trying hard to defend labor rights. Clearly the one country that could make the difference --- the United States -- is sitting on the sidelines. Indeed, if the existing language on labor rights, as weak as it is, is rolled back, it will be a major defeat for workers the world over. Once the linkage between trade and labor rights is broken, it will be years -- if ever -- before we can get back to where we are today.
For us, the United States NGO's there has been little outreach from the official U.S. government delegation. Other governments, the Europeans in particular, meet on a regular basis with their NGOs -- that has yet to happen with us. There is a sense here that the WTO knows it must stop all opposition to another round of negotiations now. If this round were to be stalled, then a total reexamination of the structure and power of the WTO would likely be on the table. But having said that, it appears that the forces of globalization are set to steam-roll all nations into a new round. The fear of losing out on promised economic development is too hard to resist. The night comes quickly in the desert, but agreement to a new round of negotiations could come even faster.
This is George and Bill, day two in Doha, signing off.:
