Dail Debate on WTO talks

national | miscellaneous | news report

Wednesday June 25, 2003 13:04

by Mary Kinane - Comhlamh Trade Group

conall at comhlamh dot org

– a call to fill the galleries!

Dail debate on the upcoming WTO talks June 27th as a result of Trade Justice Ireland lobbying campaign. To find out the Irish government's position on the next round of WTO talks, come to the Dail and watch the debate from the Public Galleries.

Following Dáil lobbying on May 14th by various Irish groups and individuals campaigning on trade issues under the banner of Trade Justice Ireland, the Dáil has decided to hold a debate on the WTO talks taking place in Cancun, Mexico. The debate is scheduled for Friday June 27th shortly after 1.00pm (though this time may move, so check the www.comhlamh.org website for confirmation).

The WTO, or World Trade Organisation, is the international body through which the rules of international trade are negotiated and enforced. The mandate of the WTO is to negotiate agreements that will increasingly liberalise the world economy. In other worlds its goal is to transform the world into one gigantic free trade zone. This includes not just the free trade of goods, but also services - in fact virtually every aspect of human economic activity is either currently liberalised, or planned for liberalisation under the WTO. And so of course, the agreements negotiated at the WTO will have profound effects for developing countries. Trade could play a significant role in reducing poverty but not while international trade rules are so biased against the poor. For years poor countries have been pressured to open their markets to competition. Meanwhile rich countries continue to subsidise and protect industries where developing countries are best able to compete, such as agriculture. The historical evidence shows that no county has developed through indiscriminate liberalisation. Flexibility to use a range of policy instruments has been the key to growth with equity.

The Trade Justice Movement in Ireland calls on the government to heed the following four key demands to make trade work for the poor: no new powers to the WTO; an end to the dumping which destroys livelihoods; fair and transparent trade-policy making; and trade justice not free trade.

This is now your opportunity to find out what the Irish government’s position is in relation to the next round of WTO talks. To attend the Dail and watch the debate from the Public Gallery you need to get a TD or Senator to 'sign you in' to Leinster House. To speak to your TD, phone 01-6183333 and ask to speak to whichever TD you wish. So let’s fill the galleries and show our Irish elected representatives that our concerns need to be brought to the WTO when they are representing Ireland in Mexico.

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Comments (5 of 5)

Demo outside the Dail?

by Anonymous

Wed Jun 25, 2003 14:20

Anyone know if a demo has been arranged for outside the Dail?

ps. Well done Comhlamh & Trade Justice Ireland

Wed Jun 25, 2003 14:29

ps. Well done Commhlamh and all and everyone involved in Trade Justice Ireland for getting this Dail debate to happen. Another example where campaigning, hard work and effort - though painstaking and painfully slow - yields results.

A bit premature

by Ciaran

Wed Jun 25, 2003 16:52

***Another example where campaigning, hard work and effort - though painstaking and painfully slow - yields results.****

I agree that its a step forward that the debate is happening at all but the hard part will be how to keep going after the debate. There, unfortunately, are many TDs who, after the debate, won't give this issue another thought. And I'm not talking about FF backbenchers but Labour, SF, GP etc. A result would be the Irish government undertaking to be completely transparent about how trade negotiations are conducted up to releasing the minutes of the 133 Committee's meetings or, better still, insisting the these meetings take place in public.

None of this is to detract from the achievement, but I would hesitate to call it a "result".

Ciaran harsh but fair enough

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein

Wed Jun 25, 2003 19:39

maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

I would also hold back from calling it a victory, but it is a success perhaps. At least the issue will be openly debated.

But then, debate is a very odd word to use in this context. There are two and a half hours of speaking time but this doesn't mean there are two and a half hours for everyone to speak. Sinn Féin for example will get two speakers, one for five minutes and one for three. The Greens will be the same. Fianna Fail will get well over an hour.

Other parties will get different amounts of time but even then, it will hardly be substantial.

As for TDs not giving it a moment's thought after the debate, most TDs won't give it a moment's thought full-stop. Less than 30 TDs will get a chance to speak. The rest, without a chance to speak, will if they don't give a shit anyway (The majority of TDs who would have difficulty spelling WTO) ignore the whole thing or, if they are concerned about the WTO but have no chance to speak and four or five Government Ministers to shadow, will regretfully prioritise something else.

No TD, no matter how dedicated to his or her job, can be an expert on every single action the Government, the EU, the WTO or the IMF takes, is thinking about taking, is trying to take, or has taken. People sometimes tend to forget that I think.

That said, it's a positive development, rather than a negative one. It puts the WTO up for debate, hopefully will broaden the debate out to the media, some people who knew little about it will be better informed.

Agree with Ciaran & Justin

Thu Jun 26, 2003 10:31

Ya I agree with both the above comments, especially Justin's "harsh but fair enough".

Mass more campaigning, effort and hard work to be done on this issue. But I think campaigners and onlookers alike should take heart that at least it is provoking reaction.

To all the many who will suffer and die in the Third World today because of unfair WTO trade practices, hopefully campaigners in Ireland and right across the globe, will eventually yield the results that are so vitally needed.

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Dail Debate on WTO talks

Comments (5 of 5)