Faith groups emphasise ‘trade for people’

-20/12/05

In the light of what many see as


Faith groups emphasise ‘trade for people’

-20/12/05

In the light of what many see as a deeply flawed trade round in Hong Kong, poorer nations are starting to build alliances that can further advance, writes Satoko Adachi for Ecumenical News International.

A common thread for faith groups and their allies in civil society is that the rich countries must deliver on their stated goals of using the World Trade Organization (WTO), which regulates international commerce, to empower poor nations to get stronger economically.

“If international trade is ever going to serve as an instrument for improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, it has to be made accountable to human rights. Trade must be for people, not people for trade,” Peter Prove, an adviser on international affairs to the 66-million strong Lutheran World Federation, told Ecumenical News International.

The Lutheran grouping is among organizations that include the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance which have sent support groups for those fighting for a better deal for the world’s poorer nations.

From the church groups are 70 women from the Ecumenical Women’s Forum on Life-Promoting Trade who sent a strongly-worded letter to the WTO. In it they said: “Driven by the free market ideology and the profit imperative, the WTO’s trade rules shrink democratic space and processes leading to growing trade inequalities as well as widening social disparities …. Thereby, the WTO undermines the fullness of life for all.”

The US development agency Church World Service called for rich countries to stop pressure on poor countries to open up their markets to imports and foreign giant companies. The New York grouping, supported by Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States, criticised the US government’s negotiating position for the WTO talks.

“Fairness demands that the US stop insisting that developing nations allow rich nations to flood their markets with subsidised produce,” the agency said in a recent statement.

The talks in the first few days of the 6th Ministerial meeting of the WTO focussed on agriculture, industrial market access and developmental issues. The European Union has come in for flak because it says it cannot make further cuts in tariffs on agriculture.

“It is our hope that the US government and other affluent countries change their positions,” said Rajyashri Waghray of Church World Service.

With grateful acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.

[Also on Ekklesia: WTO heading for slow suicide, says church agency; Christian Aid warns of trade talks walk-out after leak; Christian Aid laments feeble trade round for world’s poor; Anger spills over at WTO in Hong Kong; Trade justice event to be biggest lobby this year; Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Poor countries unhappy at British trade talks tactics; Trade justice hangs in the balance; Archbishop and unions back trade justice in Hong Kong; Christians push World Trade Organization for justice]


Faith groups emphasise ‘trade for people’

-20/12/05

In the light of what many see as a deeply flawed trade round in Hong Kong, poorer nations are starting to build alliances that can further advance, writes Satoko Adachi for Ecumenical News International.

A common thread for faith groups and their allies in civil society is that the rich countries must deliver on their stated goals of using the World Trade Organization (WTO), which regulates international commerce, to empower poor nations to get stronger economically.

“If international trade is ever going to serve as an instrument for improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, it has to be made accountable to human rights. Trade must be for people, not people for trade,” Peter Prove, an adviser on international affairs to the 66-million strong Lutheran World Federation, told Ecumenical News International.

The Lutheran grouping is among organizations that include the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance which have sent support groups for those fighting for a better deal for the world’s poorer nations.

From the church groups are 70 women from the Ecumenical Women’s Forum on Life-Promoting Trade who sent a strongly-worded letter to the WTO. In it they said: “Driven by the free market ideology and the profit imperative, the WTO’s trade rules shrink democratic space and processes leading to growing trade inequalities as well as widening social disparities …. Thereby, the WTO undermines the fullness of life for all.”

The US development agency Church World Service called for rich countries to stop pressure on poor countries to open up their markets to imports and foreign giant companies. The New York grouping, supported by Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States, criticised the US government’s negotiating position for the WTO talks.

“Fairness demands that the US stop insisting that developing nations allow rich nations to flood their markets with subsidised produce,” the agency said in a recent statement.

The talks in the first few days of the 6th Ministerial meeting of the WTO focussed on agriculture, industrial market access and developmental issues. The European Union has come in for flak because it says it cannot make further cuts in tariffs on agriculture.

“It is our hope that the US government and other affluent countries change their positions,” said Rajyashri Waghray of Church World Service.

With grateful acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.

[Also on Ekklesia: WTO heading for slow suicide, says church agency; Christian Aid warns of trade talks walk-out after leak; Christian Aid laments feeble trade round for world’s poor; Anger spills over at WTO in Hong Kong; Trade justice event to be biggest lobby this year; Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Poor countries unhappy at British trade talks tactics; Trade justice hangs in the balance; Archbishop and unions back trade justice in Hong Kong; Christians push World Trade Organization for justice]