Indonesians join actions against WTO<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmer and labor unions
\nfrom across Indonesia gathered in Jakarta on Tuesday for a two-
\nday meeting to prepare for the Sept. 10 to Sept. 14 World Trade
\nOrganization (WTO) ministerial summit in Cancun, Mexico.<\/p>\n
The groups hope to travel to Cancun to protest against trade
\nliberalization efforts they say benefit only developed countries
\nand multinational corporations, while marginalizing developing
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"About 75 NGO representatives are gathering here to discuss
\nour position for the upcoming WTO summit,\" the executive director
\nof the Institute for Global Justice, Bonnie Setiawan, told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Unlike some United Nations summits, WTO summits have never
\nprovided seats for participants or observers from outside the
\nofficial delegations of the organization's member countries.<\/p>\n
Bonnie said \"international civil society\" would gather in
\nCancun and hold parallel meetings as a counterbalance to the WTO.<\/p>\n
\"We see that the WTO only caters to the interests of developed
\ncountries. Therefore, Indonesia has to assert its interests as a
\ndeveloping country.<\/p>\n
\"For example, if food trade is liberalized, the government
\nwill no longer have the authority to manage distribution, thus it
\nwill not longer be able to ensure the food supply for the poor,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said international NGOs would urge the WTO not to
\nliberalize the agricultural sector, and not to force developing
\ncountries to buy expensive patented pharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n
The NGOs attending the two-day meeting included the Indonesian
\nConsumers Foundation (YLKI), the National Front for the Struggle
\nof Indonesian Workers (FNPBI), the Indonesian Women's Coalition
\n(KPI) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).<\/p>\n
Wahyuningsih, an agricultural activist from Karawang, West
\nJava, said farmers in her village had never benefited from a WTO
\nagreement, and cheaper imported foods cut into their income.<\/p>\n
Indra Lubis, the campaign and international relations
\ncoordinator at the Indonesian Farmers Federation told the Post
\nfive of the group's members planned to participate in anti-
\nliberalization protests in Cancun.<\/p>\n
\"Five of us will join tens of thousands of farmers from around
\nthe world, including hundreds from Southeast and East Asian
\ncountries,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is a founding member of the WTO, which was
\nestablished in 1995 as a result of talks on the General Agreement
\non Tariffs and Trade (GATT).<\/p>\n
The first WTO ministerial summit was held in Singapore in
\n1996. The last summit, the organization's fourth, took place in
\nDoha, Qatar, in 2001.<\/p>\n
On the schedule for the fifth WTO summit are those matters
\nleft unsettled at the Doha talks, including industrial product
\ntariffs, agreements on agriculture, trade related aspects of
\nintellectual property rights and a general agreement on trade and
\nservices.<\/p>\n
The European Union and the United States are expected to press
\nahead with the liberalization of government procurement and
\ninvestment, among other areas.<\/p>\n
Developing countries have long insisted on protecting these
\nareas against liberalization, arguing they are unprepared to
\ncompete with multinational corporations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesians-join-actions-against-wto-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}