[mobglob-discuss] FREE TRADE TAKEOVER OF THE EARTH SUMMIT - FOEInternational

[Tom_Childs at Douglas.BC.CA]

....crapitalist fu^#ers!!!!   Grrrrrrrr.....    -tc
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FREE TRADE TAKEOVER OF THE EARTH SUMMIT:
UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN UNION BULLYING REVEALED ON FIRST DAY OF
TALKS

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) STATEMENT by Friends of the Earth
International, Greenpeace and Third World Network

Johannesburg, Aug 25, 2002 -- On the first day of informal negotiations
at the Johannesburg Earth Summit, Friends of the Earth International,
Greenpeace and Third World Network today obtained a leaked copy of a
joint US/EU negotiating paper, which they said threatened to hijack the
Earth Summit process and turn it from a sustainable development into a
trade summit. The international NGOs blasted the EU and the US for
trying to steamroller their trade and globalization agenda through the
Earth Summit process. The groups said that Johannesburg was being
turned from Rio+10 into Doha +10 months.

The groups said that the paper moves forward the rich countries - trade
liberalization and corporate globalisation priorities at the expense of
adequately addressing the issues of environmental protection, poverty
relief and sustainable development that the Earth Summit is supposed to
be about. The groups called on President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa,
the official Chair of the Earth Summit, to resist US and EU pressure
and to ensure that the negotiating process is held in the open with all
countries and NGOs represented. South Africa should not allow this
paper, the current status of which is unclear, to become the main
negotiating text on the key issues trade and finance.

 The negotiations should proceed on the basis of the draft
implementation plan agreed at the last talks in June in Bali, and the
negotiations should be open for all countries to be present, as well as
NGOs.

 The Earth Summit is the only political process where all the
Governments are supposed to be able to negotiate freely around global
environment and development problems - irrespective of size or economic
power. The US/EU approach is likely to cause substantial frustration
amongst other countries, because this paper smacks of a top down
approach in which - just like at the WTO - the two major power houses
strike a deal and then try to pressurize other countries to accept
their agenda.

Contact in Johannesburg:

Friends of the Earth International: Daniel Mittler +27 72 4015394

Third World Network: Chee Yoke Ling  + 27 83 3151098

Greenpeace: Steve Sawyer +27 83 587 7325




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