Will the Sixth Ministerial Conference (MC6) of World Trade Organisation (WTO) go the Seattle and Cancun way? The clarion call to 'Derail the Hong Kong Ministerial' scheduled from 13-18 December 2005 has been reverberating from all corners of the world.

 

In Cancun, Mexico Ministerial in September 2003, Mexican campesinos and Korean farmers led street struggles and Korean farmer-activist Lee Kyeong-Hae did self-immolation shouting, "WTO kills farmers".

 

"Two projects of globalization are in dispute. The one from above globalizes conformity, cynicism, stupidity, war destruction, death and amnesia. And the one from below globalizes rebellion, hope, creativity, intelligence, imagination, life, memory and building a world where many worlds fit," Zapatista spokesman Subcomandante Marcos is reported to have described the conflict in Cancun.

 

Human rights groups, women's movements, peasant movements, trade unions, non-government organisations and other civil society organisations have been building on campaigns to change the global trade system under the World Trade Organisation. Millions of people around the world have been mobilised demanding trade justice, and an end to unjust free trade. As a part of trade justice movement, more than 5,000 organisations, movements and groups have joined in a global People's Caravan for Justice and Sovereignty.

 

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is planning to collect hundreds of thousands of e-mail petitions from people around the world asking the WTO to stand firm on commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were established at the United Nations in 2000, especially to tackle extreme poverty.

 

Meanwhile, trade unions are planning a joint critical statement assessing the agenda of the MC6. These trade unions include Global Unions Group, the World Confederation Of Labour (WCL) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The Global Unions Group is made up of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD, and the Global Union Federations (GUFs) including UNI, IFBWW, IUF, IMF, PSI, EI, ITGLWF, IFJ, ITF and ICEM).

 

At this sixth ministerial of the WTO the institution is expected to secure agreement in three main areas: the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA).

 

The campaigners are demanding that the WTO stop pushing countries to open up their economies; allow poor nations the space to determine their own trade policies; protect their public services and natural resources; end "dumping" of agricultural and manufactured goods by rich countries; and end isolationism of WTO resulting in the disconnection of international trade policies and practices from the goal of human well-being.

 

Away from Hong Kong, tea trade unions and small growers all over the world are planning to observe 'International Tea Day' on 15 December against increasing unemployment and impoverishment due to distorted trade in tea.

 

During the MC6, thousands of campaigners are expected to converge in Hong Kong., where the Hong Kong Peoples Alliance on WTO (HKPA), is building the synergy among these efforts towards the 'People's Action Week' in coordination with other international global justice movements and groups. Beginning on 8 December, and continuing until the end of the MC6, various local and international organisations have organised a wide range of workshops, seminars, and cultural events all focusing on the impact of the World Trade Organisation on people.

 

The governments of the developing and least developed countries are, in a way, forced to respond to the unprecedented global peoples' alliance against WTO. The G-20, G-33, Africa Group, LDC Group and the ACP Group have shown the inclination to come together to protect the interests of about three-fourths of the world population. Whether this precarious alliance will withstand the pressures from the developed countries and selfish interests of big countries like India, Brazil and South Africa will greatly determine the outcome of the Hong Kong Ministerial.

 

This issue of Labour File brings out perspectives on agricultural market access, NAMA, services and intellectual property issues that confront Indian workers, farmers, consumers and other civil society interests. These are written by intellectuals and activists representing these interests. We hope that this issue of Labour File will contribute to the mobilisation of public opinion in defending Indian peoples' interests during and after the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial.

J John