NEWSLETTER
Website: www.wtj.org.uk
7.30pm at St Michael’s Church
Hall, Gills Lane, Pensby, CH61 1AF
to be followed by a public
enactment of
‘THE GREAT TRADE RULES SCANDAL’
With international trade now worth over £7 million a minute, this game is an entertaining but serious demonstration of how some international trade rules are stacked against very poor countries. Participants take on roles as producers or traders in different countries. Some will be called to attend meetings of the World Trade Organisation where internationally important decisions are made. Others will observe and record the events as they unfold as members of the press.
Come and play the game to find out more and discover for yourself. Bring your friends and enjoy a glass of wine and some special refreshments in good company – and help to save the world at the same time!
The AGM will be very brief, consisting of the chairman’s and treasurer’s reports, approval of the accounts and election of officers. All the relevant AGM papers (that is: agenda, officers’ reports and financial statement) are enclosed and can also be read on the website. The committee has nominated all retiring members and officers for re-election, but will be glad to hear from anyone who would like to fill one of the two existing vacancies. Is there anyone out there who would like to edit this newsletter? – or manage the web-site?
SPREADING
THE WORD
*April
Meeting
We held an ambitious meeting on 22 April 2009 in St Michael’s Church Hall, Pensby, when Dr Chris Mulhearn, Reader in Economics at John Moores University, gave a talk on this question: “Can the Developing World Survive the Credit Crunch?” It was ambitious because we asked Chris to address the question in depth and in detail so that we could learn something about the issues. Over 50 people came and the talk was followed by an informed and lively discussion. Those who attended thought that they had been able to get a grasp of some of the complexities of aid, trade and world finance. We also got a bit of an understanding of the extent to which many plans were now being delayed because of the direct and indirect consequences of world recession.
*Peace
in the park
WTJ joined with a dozen other local groups to celebrate United Nations International Day of Peace in Vale Park, New Brighton on 20 September. Frank Kennedy of Friends of the Earth, spoke about the impact of climate change on poor countries. We were able to connect with many other people with objectives similar to our own and spread our message by word-of-mouth and by distributing our brochure. (See some pictures and the new version of the brochure on our website.)
*Put
People First
Ahead of the
London G20 Summit in April, more than 200 development NGOs, trade unions and
environmental groups came together under the banner “Put People First
“ to call for a democratic and accountable economy that delivers decent jobs,
global justice and a safe climate. Four
of our members joined the march to Hyde Park on
28 March
2009. (See April 2009 newsletter for
details). The same headlines – Jobs,
Justice and Climate - were used by similar networks in the United States. The Global Call to Action against Poverty
helped to set the agenda of the Pittsburgh G20 summit.
The G20 finance
ministers return to the UK in early November. To mark the event, The British
NGOs for Development (BOND) and more than 25 other organisations have come
together to organise G20 Counter Conferences in London and St Andrews on
Saturday 7 November.
These events will explore progress since the April London Summit and ways
forward for the movement for jobs, justice and climate. The BOND website www.BOND.org.uk has a lot of detailed
information for anyone who wants to try to keep abreast of these matters.
*Membership
We’re still
looking for new members. If you’re in a
union, why not suggest to your local branch that they become corporate
members? It’s only £5 – and that’s not
per annum but per vitam! I suppose this
could ask your golf club as well.
*”Vulture funds”
We’re going to
join in some actions soon about these.
These are the funds which buy up bad debts owed by poor countries to
(mainly) European countries. They buy
them up for a song and then enforce full payment in our courts. If you find this hard to believe look for it
on the Christian Aid website.
Letter-signing at the AGM.
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEEMENTS
We sent the
resolution passed at our last AGM to MPs and MEPs (reported in the April 2009
newsletter). Everyone we wrote to sent us detailed and largely encouraging
replies. Chris Davies and Arlene
McCarthy, MEPs, wrote as people who are in a position to vote on and influence
decisions in the European Pariament; the four Wirral MPs all sent full and
thoughtful responses. The general
picture is that these agreements might deliver strong and positive benefits to
the countries the EU is negotiating with. Some say that without them, particularly
in cases where existing agreements are coming to an end, there may be
disastrous consequences.
.
Here
is an illuminating(?) extract from a recent factsheet published by the European
Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/regions/acp/pr270109_en.htm
“Variations between regions
Some ACP countries open up their markets more than others. This is a
matter of choice. However, to be
WTO-compatible, trade agreements have to be essentially "reciprocal",
i.e. both trading partners should liberalise a certain minimum amount of trade
between themselves. The EU believes the
benchmark for WTO compatibility in this case should be immediate 100%
liberalisation of EU trade and at least 80% liberalisation of ACP trade over 15
years. This represents the most
generous interpretation of WTO rules ever applied – a normal starting point
would be 90% or more of trade in 10 years with no differences in the scope of
liberalisation between the partners. Nevertheless, the EU believes that EPAs
meet WTO rules.”
While this EU
prose may be impenetrable for most of us, what is clear is that it’s no good
taking an absolutist stance on EPAs.
Many have already ben signed and no-one’s talking about abolishing
them. Much of what is happening on the
positive side is the result of vehement and persistent campaigning by NGOs and
people like you in little organisations like WTJ. Keep it up!
THE
WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION (WTO)
“6.3 In light of these findings, we find that Brazil would be entitled to suspend certain obligations under the TRIPS Agreement and/or the GATS.”
This is the earth-shattering judgment of the arbitrator appointed to adjudicate between the USA and Brazil in a dispute relating to illegal subsidies for US cotton growers. This case was first brought to the WTO in 2002 and has been through a convoluted process of hearing, judgment, appeal and arbitration since then. Not only has the USA been found in breach of its WTO obligations, but Brazil has been granted its request to levy sanctions on the USA by setting aside its obligations to observe the intellectual property rights of US citizens and companies! Hang on! – only if certain thresholds are passed and certain other conditions met – and they’re not going to be!
There is life in the WTO after all, since the US have been forced to pay compensation to Brazil, their cotton subsidies have been found to be illegal and they have already been modified with a significant effect on the world cotton market. The WTO has shown that it can apply its rules in such a way as to face down even the USA.
Jack Heery 21
October 2009
Annual General Meeting at
7.30pm on Friday 13 November 2009
St Michael’s Church Hall,
Gills Lane, Pensby, CH61 1AF
to be followed by the trade rules game and some very elegant refreshments.
THE GREAT TRADE RULES SCANDAL
Get involved in the game and
learn how the rules are stacked in your favour!!!!
>>>>>>>FAIRTRADE
STALL<<<<<<<
For information ring Jack Heery 648 1930 or email jackheery@phonecoop.coop