[mobglob-discuss] [Fwd: FINAL CALL TO SUPPORT STATEMENT ON WTO AND ENVIRONMENTAL (fwd)

[Tom_Childs at Douglas.BC.CA]

Subscribers,  
    Only a few days to respond to this plea for sign-ons to this FOE
statement to the eco-summit in Johannesburg.  If your group is not listed in
the sign-ons, please consider showing your solidarity with these folks
attempting to take power away from the WTO and its rules. If you are a part
of an environmental group (however big or small) consider adding your group
to the list of endorsers.  Deadline is Aug. 30.
Regards, Tom
  ----- Forwarded message: -----
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 12:27:55 +0100
From: Chris Keene <chris.keene at which.net>
Subject: [Fwd: FINAL CALL TO SUPPORT STATEMENT ON WTO AND ENVIRONMENTAL 
             AGREEMENTS FOR WSSD]

*Sorry for cross postings**
Please circulate this statement to all your NGO contacts:

Dear friends and colleagues,

URGENT: MORE SIGN ONS NEEDED FOR STATEMENT TO PRESERVE GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS FROM WTO CHALLENGE NOW
Final deadline for submitting sign ons: 30 August 2002, during World
Summit
for Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 26 August-4 September 2002.

We would like to invite you once more to support, sign and circulate
broadly among governments officials, NGOs, media  a statement directed
at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in  Johannesburg
. The statement calls on governments to reaffirm in  Johannesburg the
authority and autonomy of global environmental
agreements and to state explicitly that they must not be undermined by
World Trade Organisation rules.

We intend to recirculate the statement with as many sign ons as possible
at WSSD. The statement has been issued by a group,  including Friends of
the Earth International, Greenpeace International, Third World Network,
ANPED, Sierra Club and WWF International at the last PrepComm in March
and more than 175 groups from over 50 countries have signed so far.
Nevertheless, we need MORE SIGN ONS to increase pressure on our
Governments. We now invite other groups to join, post it on your
websites and to circulate it to your governmental and media contacts.
An updated list of sign ons will be posted on a continuos basis at
www.rio-plus-10.org

If you wish to sign on, please send the name of your organisation to
Friends of the Earth Europe at wssd at foeeurope.org by Friday 30 August
2002.


CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT

JOHANNESBURG EARTH SUMMIT MUST AGREE THAT THE
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) RULES WILL
RESPECT MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS (MEAs)
Signed by 175 organisations from 53 countries as of 23 August 2002

To sign on please send the name of your organisation and country to
wssd at foeeurope.org by 30 August 2002


WHY IS THERE CONCERN?

UN member governments have an opportunity in Johannesburg to make a
clear statement concerning the relationship between Multilateral
Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and WTO trade rules, in order to
reaffirm the authority and autonomy of MEAs and to ensure that MEAs are
not subordinated to or undermined by the WTO.

At the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in Qatar, WTO Members decided to
launch negotiations on the relationship between MEAs and trade rules
because there has been some uncertainty about the relationship between
certain MEA provisions and WTO trade rules.  Today, around 20 MEAs have
trade-related provisions.

It is known that due to the rapid development of WTO rules with strong
enforcement measures, the implementation of some MEA trade provisions
have suffered from a =93chilling=94 effect, with some members arguing
that some MEA trade provisions would not be compatible with WTO rules.

Negotiations will come to first results at the next WTO Ministerial
Conference in Mexico in mid 2003.

At stake here is the very question of global governance, where the MEAs
represent a rare and strategically important space in today's
international governance architecture to protect people and the planet.
They must be defended and strengthened as a countervailing force to WTO
rules.

WHAT SHOULD GOVERNMENTS DO NOW

During the preparatory process for, as well as at, the World Summit on
Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, the World Summit on
Sustainable Development should:

* Reaffirm the authority and autonomy of MEAs; and

* Clarify that the objectives, principles, and provisions of MEAs must
not be subordinated to WTO rules.

Signed first by:

1. Friends of the Earth International
2. Greenpeace International
3. Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED)
4. Third World Network
5. Sierra Club
6. WWF International


Additional signatories:
7. 11.11.11.- Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement, Belgium
8. Action Canada for Population and Development, Canada
9. ADOME, France
10. Advocay for Environmental Restoration Zambia (AREZ)
11. AGEZ (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Entwicklungszusammenarbeit), Austria
12. AG Rio + 10, University of L=FCneburg, Germany
13. Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN)
14. Albury-Wodonga Environment Centre, Australia
15. A l'Ecoute de la Nature, France
16. Allergy, Sensitivity & Environmental Health Association Qld Inc,
Australia
17. Alternatives to War: Conversation & Change, US
18. Amici della Terra/Friends of the Earth Italy
19. Ami de la Terre/Friends of the Earth France
20. AM-NET(APEC monitor NGO Network), Japan
21. Anti-Globalisation Network, UK
22. Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange (APEX)
23. Attac Austria
24. Attac France
25. Basel Action Network (BAN), US
26. BC Council for International Cooperation, Canada
27. Biowatch South Africa
28. Both ENDS, the Netherlands
29. Bretton Woods Project, UK
30. Buckinghamshire Chilterns Student Union, UK
31. Buendnis fuer Eine Welt /OeIE, Austria
32. BUND/Friends of the Earth Germany
33. Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale/Campaign to Reform the
World Bank, Italy
34. Canadian Council for International Cooperation, Canada
35. Caroline Lucas, MEP, UK
36. Center for Development of International Law (CDIL), US
37. Church Development Service (EED), Germany
38. Christenen voor het Socialisme, Belgium
39. Coalition Clean Baltic - Latvia
40. CODEFF/Friends of the Earth Chile
41. Coecoceiba/Friends of the Earth Costa Rica
42. COHPEDA/AdT-Haiti
43. COS Groningen, the Netherlands
44. De Kleine Aarde, Centre for Sustainable Lifestyles (The Small
Earth), Holland
45. Diakonia, Sweden
46. Die Verbraucher Initiative, Germany
47. Dodo - Living Nature For The Future, Finland
48. Dutch National Association of Worldshops, the Netherlands
49. Earthlife Africa Johannesburg
50. Ecodesarollo Gaia, Spain
51. Ecoropa, France
52. Environmental Center Biostan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
53. Environment Centre of the Northern Territory, Australia
54. Epsom LA21 Environment Forum, UK
55. eThekwini ECOPEACE, South Africa
56. Energy Club, Budapest, Hungary
57. European Environmental Bureau
58. Evert Vermeer Foundation, the Netherlands
59. FAO Community IPM in Indonesia
60. FERN, Belgium
61. FIELD (Farmer's Initiatives for Ecological Livelihoods and
Democracy), Indonesia
62. Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (Suomen
luonnonsuojeluliitto), Finland
63. "For Civil Society", Kyrgyzstan
64. For Poole Agenda 21, UK
65. Forum for Ssytemdebatt/Forum for System Debate, Sweden
66. Friends of the Earth Cyprus
67. Friends of the Earth Middle East
68. FUTURA, Spain
69. Germanwatch e.V., Bonn/Berlin, Germany
70. Global Cooperation Council
71. Global Network Against Weapons ans Nuclear Power in Space
72. Green Alliance, UK
73. Green Belt Movement, Kenya
74. Green Cross Sweden
75. Green Youth of Sweden
76. Gr=F6nfront, the Netherlands
77. HELIO International
78. Hnuti DUHA/Friends of the Earth Czech Republic
79. Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing countries
(HIVOS), the Netherlands
80. Indonesian IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Farmers' Association,
Indonesia
81. Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika (IGLA), Austria
82. Initiatives de D=E9veloppement Strat=E9gique - Strat=E9gic Developmen=
t
Initiative (IDS), France
83. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), US
84. Institute for Economic Relocalisation, France
85. Irish Seedsavers Association, Ireland
86. International NGO Task Group on Legal and Institutional Matters
(INTGLIM)
87. Japan Network on Debt & Poverty, member of ICDA, Japan
88. KEPA - Service Centre for Development Cooperation, Finland
89. KFEM(Korean Federation for Environmental Movement), Korea
90. K.U.L.U. - Women and Development, Denmark
91. KWIA, Flemish Support Group for Indigenous Peoples, Belgium
92. Le Forum Maghr=E9bin pour l'environnement et le d=E9veloppement ONG,
Morocco
93. Legambiente, Italy
94. Les Verts, Morocco
95. LIVANINGO, Mocambique
96. Maan Yst=E4v=E4t/Friends of the Earth Finland
97. MAMA TERRA / For Mother Earth-Romania
98. Milieudefensie/ Friends of the Earth Netherlands
99. Mineral Policy Institute, Sydney, Australia
100. Monitoring Network Health and Environment (Meldpunten Netwerk
Gezondheid en Milieu), the Netherlands
101. Move Your World, the Netherlands
102. Moviment ghall-Ambjent, Friends of the Earth, Malta
103. National Toxics Network Inc., Australia
104. Natur og Ungdom (Nature & Youth), Denmark
105. Naturhomist International, India
106. Nea Ecologia-Friends of the Earth Greece
107. Network for Fresh Water Advocacy, Indonesia
108. NM Ecoglasnost/FoE Bulgaria
109. Norwegian Forum on Development and Environment, Norway
110. N=FAcleo Amigos da Terra/Friends of the Earth/Brazil
111. Open University, UK
112. Oxfam International
113. Pacific Institute of Resource Management, New Zealand
114. Pasumai Thaayagam (Green Mother Land-NGO), Pakistan
115. Paul Lannoye, MEP, Belgium
116. Peaceboat, Japan
117. Pelum Tanzania Network, Tanzania
118. Plight of The Redwoods Campaign, USA
119. Polaris Institute, Canada
120. Public Services International
121. Programme Sustainable Development, University of Nijmegen,
Netherlands
122. Pro Natura/Friends of the Earth Switzerland
123. Public Citizen, US
124. Rechord, UK
125. Robin Harper MSP, Leader of the Scottish Green Party
126. Senator Andrew Bartlett, Federal Democrat Senator from Queensland,
Australia
127. Social Action Office(CLRIQ), Australia
128. Socio-Ecological Union International, Russia
129. Solagral, France
130. SOMO, Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, the
Netherlands
131. South Hams Sustainable Development Group, UK
132. Southpanafrican Ghana, European Office
133. Sustainable Population Australia
134. Stichting Aarde, the Netherlands
135. Suedwind N=D6, Austria
136. Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature, Sweden
137. Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, Taiwan
138. Terra Curanda; Globus, Tilburg University, NL-Argentina
139. Tibet Environment and Development Desk, Tibet
140. Transnational Institute, the Netherlands
141. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF)
142. The Australian Greens, Australia
143. The Baltic Centre, Riga
144. The Canadian Youth Summit Team for Johannesburg, Canada
145. The Danish Ecological Council, Denmark
146. The Danish Society for Conservation of Nature, Denmark
147. The Danish 92 Group, Denmark
148. The European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN)
149. The future in our hands, Sweden
150. The Green Library, Lund Sweden
151. The Green Party of South Africa
152. The Green Socialist Network, UK
153. The Tasmanian Conservation Trust, Australia
154. The Women's Alliance of the Netherlands (Vrouwen Alliantie)
155. The Zuid-Noord Federatie, the Netherlands
156. Union for Defence of the Aral Sea and Amudarya (UDASA), Uzbekistan
157. Ukrainian Environment Asociation Zeleny Svit, Ukraine
158. VABIKU, Austria
159. VAK Green Center, Latvia
160. Vereniging INZET, Associations for North-South Campaigns, the
Netherlands
161. VODO (Flemish Platform on Sustainable Development), Belgium
162. VOICE (Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment), Ireland
163. WALHI (Indonesian Forum for Environment)/ Friends of the Earth
Indonesia
164. Warwick & Leamington Green Party, UK
165. Werkgroep Globalisering DD, the Netherlands
166. Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa
167. Women=B4s Development Collective, Malaysia
168. Women|s International League for Peace and Freedom, France
169. Women's Network for Sustainability, Canada
170. Working Group Against MAI and Globalisation, Turkey
171. World Federalist Movement
172. WTO Watch Qld, Brisbane, Australia
173. WWF Denmark
174. "Yanus" Environmental-Legal NGO, Armenia
175. Young Volunteers for Environment of Togo

Countries in total: 53, including Argentinia, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary,
India, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Ireland,
Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Middle East (groups from Israel, Jordan and
Palestine), Morocco, Mocambique, Netherlands, Pakistan, New Zealand,
Norway, Romania, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland,
Taiwan, Tanzania,Togo, Turkey, UK, US, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Zambia

If you still wish to sign on, send the name of your organisation and the
country to wssd at foeeurope.org
Regular updated lists will be published at http://www.rio-plus-10.org

--


alexandra wandel
trade and sustainability co-ordinator
friends of the earth europe (FoEE)
29, rue blanche - B-1060 brussels - belgium
fon:+32-2-54201-85 - fax:+32-2-53755-96
e-mail: alexandra.wandel at foeeurope.org
http://www.foeeurope.org/trade/about.htm
http://www.rio-plus-10.org

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'protecting the environment and sharing the world's wealth'