Poor countries unhappy at British trade talks tactics
-17/1/05
Behind the scenes infig
Poor countries unhappy at British trade talks tactics
-17/1/05
Behind the scenes infighting at the World Trade Organisation talks has intensified over the past 24 hours, as African delegates complained of British bullying over services, according to church and NGO sources in Hong Kong.
According to people close to the African delegations, some of the G90 group of poorer developing countries were warned by unnamed British officials not to proceed with its own version of a text on the controversial issue of services. In the event, the G90 appears to have withstood the pressure and has today tabled its own version of the text.
The European Commission ñ headed by Peter Mandelson ñ has also been accused of aggressively pushing poor countries to open up sensitive service markets like water, power and banking ñ a move seen by Christian Aid and others as highly damaging to fragile developing economies.
One African delegation source told UK-based international development agency Christian Aid that EU officials had been instructing some of the continentís poorest countries to accept existing proposals on services or lose the offer of duty- and quota-free market access to Europe.
British officials, writes John McGhie, also told some African members of the G90 that if they proceeded with their alternative services text it might jeopardise the chances of a successful WTO deal.
One delegate said: ìA very senior member of the UK team has been exerting strong private pressure on several G90 members not to issue our own proposals on services.î
Christian Aid senior trade analyst Claire Melamed said the British moves followed consistent EU pressure on poor countries to deliver up their services for liberalisation.
ìThe EU is pursuing a highly aggressive agenda on services which will be damaging for poor countries. It is shocking that Britain should be joining in and actually trying to prevent developing countries from saying what they want. These dirty tricks are unacceptable and must cease,î she said.
The new G90 services text that angered British and European officials removed some of the most objectionable aspects of the EU’s own version of what a services agreement should look like.
One provision that was dropped in the G90 version was the EU’s insistence that developing countries enter into so-called ëplurilateralí negotiations over services.
Plurilateral is the technical term given to joint negotiations. At the moment the EU, for example, would hold talks with one developing country at a time. A plurilateral approach would allow the EU to gang up with the US and others and compel one developing country to negotiate liberalisation of specific service sectors.
ìPlurilateralism is just another way of putting more pressure on poor countries and it is no surprise that the G90 wants to drop this provision,î said Melamed.
[Also on Ekklesia: UK chancellor to address Christians in run up to WTO talks; Christian Aid warns of trade talks walk-out after leak; Trade justice event to be biggest lobby this year; Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Santa tells Tony Blair to Make Poverty History; Christian leaders from around the world demand fairer trade rules; Christian Aid says European Union is bullying the global poor; Campaigners to lobby Parliament over trade justice; Christians push World Trade Organization for justice]
Poor countries unhappy at British trade talks tactics
-17/1/05
Behind the scenes infighting at the World Trade Organisation talks has intensified over the past 24 hours, as African delegates complained of British bullying over services, according to church and NGO sources in Hong Kong.
According to people close to the African delegations, some of the G90 group of poorer developing countries were warned by unnamed British officials not to proceed with its own version of a text on the controversial issue of services. In the event, the G90 appears to have withstood the pressure and has today tabled its own version of the text.
The European Commission – headed by Peter Mandelson – has also been accused of aggressively pushing poor countries to open up sensitive service markets like water, power and banking – a move seen by Christian Aid and others as highly damaging to fragile developing economies.
One African delegation source told UK-based international development agency Christian Aid that EU officials had been instructing some of the continent’s poorest countries to accept existing proposals on services or lose the offer of duty- and quota-free market access to Europe.
British officials, writes John McGhie, also told some African members of the G90 that if they proceeded with their alternative services text it might jeopardise the chances of a successful WTO deal.
One delegate said: ‘A very senior member of the UK team has been exerting strong private pressure on several G90 members not to issue our own proposals on services.’
Christian Aid senior trade analyst Claire Melamed said the British moves followed consistent EU pressure on poor countries to deliver up their services for liberalisation.
‘The EU is pursuing a highly aggressive agenda on services which will be damaging for poor countries. It is shocking that Britain should be joining in and actually trying to prevent developing countries from saying what they want. These dirty tricks are unacceptable and must cease,’ she said.
The new G90 services text that angered British and European officials removed some of the most objectionable aspects of the EU’s own version of what a services agreement should look like.
One provision that was dropped in the G90 version was the EU’s insistence that developing countries enter into so-called ëplurilateral’ negotiations over services.
Plurilateral is the technical term given to joint negotiations. At the moment the EU, for example, would hold talks with one developing country at a time. A plurilateral approach would allow the EU to gang up with the US and others and compel one developing country to negotiate liberalisation of specific service sectors.
‘Plurilateralism is just another way of putting more pressure on poor countries and it is no surprise that the G90 wants to drop this provision,’ said Melamed.
[Also on Ekklesia: UK chancellor to address Christians in run up to WTO talks; Christian Aid warns of trade talks walk-out after leak; Trade justice event to be biggest lobby this year; Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Santa tells Tony Blair to Make Poverty History; Christian leaders from around the world demand fairer trade rules; Christian Aid says European Union is bullying the global poor; Campaigners to lobby Parliament over trade justice; Christians push World Trade Organization for justice]