[asia-apec 1376] ISGN Forum in Bangkok

[rcpd at mail1.info.com.ph]

Dear Friends,

If you happen to be in Bangkok for the UNCTAD X events in February, we are
inviting you to participate in a series of NGO forum organized by the
International South Group Network (ISGN):

February 9-10: "Post-Seattle Forum on Trade and Agriculture---Advancing the
Call to Take Agriculture Out of the WTO"  (in cooperation with Focus on the
Global South and PKMM-Philippines)

February 12: "Forum on Trade, Finance Liberalization and Implications on
the Debt Crisis" (in cooperation with Focus and Jubilee South)

Please find below the program/theme of both forum. For reservations and
more information, contact:

Naty Bernardino
ISGN-International Secretariat
c/o Resource Center for People's Development
rcpd at info.com.ph, isgn at tri-isys.com
or
Alice Raymundo
PKMM-Philippines
alice at info.com.ph, pkmm_phil at hotmail.com

------------------



Post-Seattle Forum on Trade and Agriculture:
Advancing the Call to Take Agriculture out of the WTO

February 9-10, 2000
Bangkok, Thailand


The massive street protests and collapse of the 3rd WTO ministerial meeting
in Seattle highlighted the bankruptcy of the "free trade" dogma that rules
the multilateral trading system.   It was a significant advance in the
people's struggle against the WTO especially since the US and other big
players failed to introduce new issues into the domain of the WTO.  The
sharpening of contradictions within the WTO, most significantly the growing
collective challenge posed by the developing and least developed nations is
a positive development that has to be pushed and supported.
 
However, even if the 3rd WTO ministerial meeting failed to agree on a broad
agenda for a millenium round of negotiations, the trade body will resume
talks on key areas such as agriculture, services, and intellectual property
rights, as mandated under the 1994 Marrakesh agreement.  Agriculture
remains a contentious issue not only between the big players and developing
nations but also among the developed nations themselves.  Talks remain
deadlocked between the US/Cairns Group and the EU on the issue of
subsidies, and between the powerful and developing nations on the issue of
market access and special and differential treatment, among others.

Peasant movements worldwide have already put forward the call, Take
Agriculture Out of WTO.   The call aptly mirrors the position and
perspective of small farmers, peasants and marginalized rural sectors who
have been the worst victims of agricultural trade liberalization.  It is a
radical departure from simply pleading the WTO for more export market
access in favor of developing countries or dismantling subsidies in the
North to make third world exports competitive.  Small farmers in the third
world do not gain anything from increased exports.  Only big agribusiness
TNCs and the local landed elite benefit from it.  In fact, it is the
orientation towards export agriculture that has made the third world
perpetually underdeveloped and which has exacerbated peasant landlessness,
food insecurity and environmental degradation.

On February 12-19, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
will hold its tenth quadrennial conference in Bangkok.  Since the WTO came
to existence, big players in the global trading regime have sidetracked the
vital link of trade to development, relegating such concerns  to the
UNCTAD.   While it is a non-binding trade body in contrast to the WTO, the
UNCTAD has more or less served as a forum of developing nations to raise
development issues in relation to trade.  

The aftershock from Seattle is bound to shape the outcome of UNCTAD X .  It
will be worthwhile to observe and explore possibilities of pushing
developing nations into firming up a collective position in support of
people's demands in Seattle.   

>From Seattle to Bangkok and then on to Geneva, we should not let our guards
down and vigorously oppose all moves by the US and other big economic
powers to pursue their failed agenda in Seattle.  We must support the call
to get agriculture out of the WTO even as we find ways of pushing the
processes of the WTO towards emasculating its hold on key and related
issues around agriculture and stopping further liberalization of third
world economies.  We must work for a united front of all developing and
least developed nations in fighting for national economic sovereignty and
genuine development.   

Tentative Program:

February 9 (Wednesday) 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Opening and Welcome Remarks:   	Assembly of the Poor (Thailand)
   				   	ISGN
				  	Focus on the Global South
Plenary Forum I:  
The WTO Fiasco in Seattle:  Analysis and Prospects  -  Dr. Walden Bello
UNCTAD and Which Way Forward for Developing Nations - Dr. Yash Tandon
Lessons from Seattle and Challenges on People's Struggles and Movements -
Dr. Alejandro Bendana

February 10 (Thursday)  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Plenary Forum II:
The Political Economy of Trade Liberalization in Agriculture - Francisco
Pascual
The WTO Review of the Agreement on Agriculture: Issues and Problems - IATP 
The Global Farmers' Campaign to Take Agriculture Out of the WTO - La Via
Campesina

Lunch Break:  12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Plenary Forum III:  Perspective and Positions of Farmers and Peasant
Organizations
1. Brazil 
2. Africa
3. Philippines 
4. Mexico
5. India 
6. Norway
7. USA

Synthesis and Closing Remarks   
-------------------------------
The forum is being organized by the International South Group Network
(ISGN) in cooperation with Focus on the Global South.  

For more information, contact:

Naty Bernardino
ISGN-Manila c/o Resource Center for People's Development (RCPD)
e-mail address:  rcpd at info.com.ph  or isgn at tri-isys.com
Tel/fax: (632)-436-18-31
or
Alice Raymundo
PKMM (National Association of Patriotic Peasants -Philippines)
e-mail:  alice at info.com.ph  or pkmm_phil at hotmail.com   Tel/fax:
(632)-912-39-62
------------------

International South Group Network (ISGN)
Forum on Trade, Financial Liberalization and 
Implications on the Debt Crisis

February 12, 2000
Bangkok, Thailand

9:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon
Welcome and Opening Remarks                                  
     Alejandro Bendaña (ISGN/ Jubilee South)

Plenary I :  Trade Liberalization and Debt   	     
       Panelists:   Yash Tandon (SEATINI/ISGN) 
      Eric Toussaint (CADTM-Belgium)
      Martin Khor (Third World Network)
     
      Lunch Break:  12:00  - 1:30   	

Plenary II:   Capital Market Liberalization 
  		and the Debt Crisis				
Panelists:   Prof. Michel Chossudovsky (University of Ottawa)
     Prof. Walden Bello (Focus on the Global South)
     Hero Vaswani (KATAPAT-Philippines)
       
      Coffee Break:  3:45-4:00 p.m.

Plenary III:  Status and Prospects of the Jubilee and 
  		Global Campaign against Third World Debt    
Panelists:  John Dillon (Ecumenical Campaign for Economic Justice -Canada)
	Brian Ashley (Jubilee 2000 South Africa/Jubilee South)
	Lidy Nacpil (Freedom from Debt Coalition/Jubilee South)

Synthesis and Closing Remarks:    
      Francisco Pascual (Resource Center for People's Development)	
    

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Resource Center for People's Development
#24, Unit 7, Mapang-akit St, Pinyahan, QC, Philippines
telefax- (632)4361831 tel - 4350815
email: rcpd at info.com.ph