AN OPEN LETTER FROM NGOS TO DEVELOPING COUNTRY TRADE MINISTERS AT THE 4TH WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING IN DOHA
We the undersigned civil society groups, are encouraged by the firm stand taken by African trade ministers, LDC trade ministers and other developing country trade ministers, in particular India, in relation to the proposed "New Round" of WTO talks.
Civil society groups around the world support the positions taken by the Africa group, LMG, LDC group and others in resisting the inclusion of 'new issues', in particular Singapore issues, in the next round of negotiations. We also support the demand for concrete steps on implementation, which we believe will contribute to sustainable development and poverty eradication.
We are very concerned about the non-transparent and exclusive process leading up to the Doha Ministerial and about the manner in which negotiations in Doha will be conducted. We urge developing country ministers to seek assurance from the Chair that they will be fully involved and consulted at all stages.
We are aware of the immense pressure being exerted on your countries by the powerful trading nations and the threats relating to aid, debt relief and being branded the deal breakers responsible for furthering the global recession. We applaud your determination to ensure that trade rules benefit the world's poor and commit ourselves to doing whatever possible to influence governments to redress the deep inequalities in the trading system. If the talks fail, we believe that the political responsibility will lie with the industrialised countries that have repeatedly refused to accommodate your countries' concerns.
Civil society groups share many of your concerns regarding the impact of trade rules on poverty and sustainable development. This letter is an expression of our support, and an assurance that we will continue to campaign vigorously to try to influence governments in support of your positions. Those of us present in Doha will be happy to discuss other means of forwarding our joint interests.
ActionAid Ireland ActionAid UK ActionAid USA Action for Southern Africa Action for Economic Reforms Azione Aiuto Berne Declaration BOND Cafod Center for Human Rights and Environment Argentina Christian Aid CIDSE Equations Fairtrade Foundation Friends of the Earth International Focus on the Global South Food First-Institute for Food and Development Policy, USA Forum Syd Gaia Foundation GermanWatch Greenpeace Brazil Greenpeace France Greenpeace International IATP International Federation for Alternative Trade Manos Unidas National Federation of Women's Institutes Noor, Pakistan Oxfam Pressure Point, US Quakers United Nations Office Save the Children SCIAF Seatini Solagral Sustainable Development Policy Institute Sungi Development Foundation Traidcraft Exchange Trocaire TWIN UCPA, Uganda VSO Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (UK) World Development Movement WWF World Rural Forum-Asia, India:
