A group of civil societies networking together through the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) yesterday used the human amplification tactic of “Mike Check” to voice their concerns about the WTO negotiations.
They demonstrated against the so-called new issues and demanded not to include in the agenda of the trade negotiation, particularly while the development mandate has not been concluded.
In front of the conference venue of Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, some of the agitators were chanting slogans yesterday, asking end of the WTO while some others want it to rest in peace.
Many others also wanted the WTO to be reformed.
The civil societies, however, called for a binding LDCs package and that the WTO ministerial declaration affirms the development mandate.
They also chanted slogans for removing the WTO obstacles to food security through the conclusion of the permanent solution for public stock-holding, as well as special safeguard mechanism, and disciplines on export competition.
Over 90 civil society experts from at least 25 countries, including Bangladesh, have travelled to Nairobi for the ministerial conference.
Meanwhile, Non-government organisations and mass movements of India disapproved facilitators’ agriculture draft circulated yesterday.
They condemned the draft and said the proposed draft is absolutely against the interest of the farmers of India and other developing and least developed countries. The draft should not be accepted as it goes against the aspiration of the vast masses and farmers of developing countries.
It also contradicts with the statement made by G-33 and India’s statement on the issue.
“The new text on agriculture makes a travesty of developing country concerns,” said Ranja Sengupta of Third World Network in India.
“The developing countries gain nothing from this text and should firmly reject it.”
