News

LDC Watch and OWINFS Call on the WTO TRIPS Council Chair to Stop the Ongoing Unfair Informal Negotiations on the LDC TRIPS Waiver Extension

Original Publication Date: 
21 May, 2013
LDC Watch and Our World Is Not For Sale Call on the WTO TRIPS Council Chair to Stop the Ongoing Unfair Informal Negotiations on the LDC TRIPS Waiver Extension

International Civil Society Calls on WTO Members to Reject the Report of the “Expert Panel” of Outgoing Director General Lamy

Due date: 
14 May, 2013
Delivery date: 
14 May, 2013
As members of the Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) civil society network, we are writing to WTO members strongly object to the report, “The Future of Trade: The Challenges of Convergence,” written by the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in consultation with the panel composed by the Director General, Pascal Lamy, both in terms of the process, and the content of the analysis and recommendations contained therein.

International Civil Society Calls on WTO Members to Reject the Report of the “Expert Panel” of Outgoing Director General Lamy

Original Publication Date: 
14 May, 2013
Today, 117 organizations (including 17 international networks) from around the world sent a letter to members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), rejecting the report “The Future of Trade: The Challenges of Convergence,” written by the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in consultation with the panel composed by the outgoing Director General, Pascal Lamy, both in terms of the process, and the content of the analysis and recommendations contained therein. The letter, included in English and Spanish below and attached, was coordinated by the Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network.

Confronting the G-20…A Discussion Paper for Strategic Planning by Social Movements and Allied NGO’s

Original Publication Date: 
24 June, 2010

The following paper is based on a document researched and written by John Dillon, entitled, From Pittsburgh to Toronto (and on to Seoul and Paris): What’s On The G-20 Agenda?,  published by KAIROS [Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives] in Canada. In order to provide a background tool that could be used by social movements and allied NGOs for strategic discussion purposes about the G-20, the KAIROS document has been reworked and edited. This task has been carried out by Tony Clarke of the Polaris Institute in Canada. It is a shortened version of the original document but includes many relevant excerpts as well as some additions.The discussion paper that follows contains a summary of 7 key themes that need to be considered in developing strategies for ‘confronting the G-20:

  • Transition from G-8 to G-20
  • Global Crises Management
  • G-20s Economic Crisis Agenda
  • G-20’s Financial Crisis Agenda
  • G-20’s Climate Crisis Agenda
  • Global Trade & the G-20
  • Alternatives for Global Governance

Change Trade, Not our Climate!

Original Publication Date: 
6 October, 2009
Source: 
Ronnie Hall
One way or another change is on the way: if we don’t change the rules of the global economy we won’t be able to limit climate change.

End WTO Deregulation of Finance (OWINFS Financial Services Brief 1)

Original Publication Date: 
8 June, 2009
Source: 
SOMO

END WTO DEREGULATION OF FINANCE

"Free Trade" Agreements Contribute to Financial and Other Crises (OWINFS Financial Services Brief 2)

Original Publication Date: 
8 June, 2009
Source: 
SOMO
While the financial crisis and its consequences are spreading around the world and even the most erstwhile ‘free market’ governments are discussing how to re-regulate the financial sector, bilateral and regional ‘free trade’ agreements continue extreme deregulation of the financial industry. The terms of these agreements prohibit countries from reforming their financial sector so as to remedy the financial, economic, environmental, food and social crises now growing, and from ensuring that finance is directed towards the transformation to sustainable societies.

The Financial Crisis Does Not Justify a WTO Deal (OWINFS Financial Services Brief 3)

Original Publication Date: 
8 June, 2009
Source: 
SOMO
Many political leaders have been calling for the conclusion of the ‘Doha Round’ negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as a solution to the financial crisis, in order to provide a boost to the world economy and a signal of confidence to multilateralism. They argue that WTO rules prevent “protectionist measures”, closing of borders, and beggar-thy-neighbour policies, which led to the economic depression in the 1930s and the consequent wars.

Civil Society Groups Slam G20 Agenda on WTO

Original Publication Date: 
21 June, 2012
In advance of the G20 meeting in Mexico this week, civil society groups working together in the Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network sent a letter to governments participating in the meetings urging them to reject discussing the further liberalization of trade in the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, at the G20 meetings in Mexico.

Global civil society groups called on the G 20 governments to reject further discussion on WTO negotiations, in the meeting of the G20 in Mexico in June 2012

Due date: 
17 June, 2012
Delivery date: 
21 June, 2012
Global civil society groups called on the G 20 governments to reject the discussion on further liberalization of trade in the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, in the meeting of the G20 in Mexico in June 2012. In a statement, civil society groups stated that, the G20 does not have legitimacy to decide the future of global trade governance since only a forum which includes all members, regardless of their economic power, can legitimately make decisions on major issues pertaining to the future of WTO negotiations.

Global Civil Society Calls on Governments to Strengthen, Not Weaken, UNCTAD’s Role in Global Governance

Sign-on Letter with 38 International and 137 National Organizations from Across the Globe Delivered to Negotiators at UNCTAD XIII in Doha

Today, global civil society delivered a letter that calls on negotiators at the 13th quadrennial conference of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD XIII, to ensure that conference strengthens UNCTAD’s role on keys issues of global economic governance and financial reform.

The letter reads, in part:

Strengthen, Don’t Weaken, UNCTAD’s Role in Global Governance: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Development, Not More Crises

Since the onset of the global financial and economic crises, UNCTAD has played an important role in identifying the key causes of the crises, assisting developing countries in seeking solutions to the impacts of the crises, and advocating for the reform of global economic and finance policies and governance in order to prevent similar crises from recurring. These are all key roles that no other multilateral economic institution has fulfilled from a development perspective.

Foro internacional "Crisis global, G20 y políticas alternativas"

Ciudad de México, 26 y 27 de marzo 2012

Evento que reúne un abanico importante de expertos tanto universitarios como de los movimientos sociales, que compartirán sus análisis en torno al rol del G20 como espacio informal de gobernancia de la economía mundial, y expondrán políticas alternativas para enfrentar la actual crisis mundial y construir un modelo de desarrollo que ponga la gente y la naturaleza en el centro de la economía.

DIFUSIÓN EN VIVO / cliquea aquí

Organizado por la Coalición mexicana frente al G20
en colaboración con el Posgrado de la Facultad de Economía de la UNAM

Rumbo a la Cumbre del G20 en junio 2012, en Los Cabos, México

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INTERNATIONAL FORUM "GLOBAL CRISIS, G20 AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES"
Mexico City, March 26-27, 2012

Event that gathers academic and social movements' experts, who will share their analysis on the G20 as the "new" informal body of governance of the global economy, and expose different policy alternatives to confront the actual global crisis and build a development model that puts people and nature first.

LIVE BROADCAST (in Spanish) / click here

Organized by the Mexican Coalition on G20
in collaboration with the Faculty of Economy of UNAM

Towards the G20 Summit in June 2012, in Los Cabos, Mexico


WTO 8th Ministerial Failed to Respond to Food, Jobs and Financial Crises, 99% Say

Original Publication Date: 
17 December, 2011

This afternoon, a group of civil society from the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network, present in Geneva for the 8th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), sent a message to negotiators entering the closing plenary of the 8th Ministerial in Geneva using the Occupy Wall Street tactic of “Mic Check!”

Statement of Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) on the de Schutter-WTO Debate

Original Publication Date: 
17 December, 2011

OWINFS Supports De Schutter:
WTO has Negative Impact on Global Food Security!
We Demand Trade Rules that Support Food Security and Sovereignty

Pledge Against Protectionism: Statements from Civil Society Organizations

Original Publication Date: 
17 December, 2011

A wide variety of civil society representatives and experts from the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network, present in Geneva for the 8th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), voiced their opposition to the idea of a standstill on tariffs in the WTO proposed within the “Pledge Against Protectionism” circulated today by a group of mostly developed countries.