15th September 2003
“The collapse of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) talks in Cancun, Mexico is a welcome victory,” said Leigh Cookson,
spokesperson for GATT Watchdog.
“Developing countries will be blamed, but
the fault lies with the rich countries that want to control trade on their own
terms,” she added. “They tried to push
WTO rules into new areas like investment, but this time the developing countries
stopped them short. It is a victory to
ordinary people and a testament to the thousands of protestors who risked their
lives to take their message to Cancun.”
“People are sick and tired of economic
changes that benefit the rich and harm the poor. They do not want a world ruled by huge Transnational Corporations
who exploit workers and destroy the environment. They want control over what they eat and how they live their
lives. South Korean protestor in
Cancun, Kyung-Hae Lee, gave his life for that cause and we will remember him
for that,” she said.
The Minister of Trade Negotiations, Mr
Jim Sutton, led the New Zealand public up the garden path with false promises
of greater market access for agricultural goods. In the lead up to the trade talks it was already clear that
Europe and the USA were not going to cut their farm subsidies. They were only
interested in new concessions in areas like investment and trade facilitation.
The majority world made its voice heard
in Cancun and will not remain silent.
“We will push on in our campaign against
free trade. This is one step
forward. It is time that Mr Sutton
faced the facts: the world does not want more trade liberalization at the
expense of the world’s people and the environment” said Leigh Cookson.
GATT Watchdog
GATT Watchdog has been opposing trade liberalization for over ten years, especially as negotiated at the World Trade Organization and other free trade agreements by successive New Zealand governments.