[asia-apec 1377] ISGN Forums in Bangkok

[rcpd at mail1.info.com.ph]

Dear Friends,

new year greetings!

Below is the registration form and other documents for the:

February 9-10: "Post-Seattle Forum on Trade and Agriculture---Advancing the
Call to Take Agriculture Out of the WTO" and the 

February 12: "Forum on Trade, Finance Liberalization and Implications on
the Debt Crisis" 

Please fill it up and send to us via email.

The venue will be at the Chulalongkorn University in downtown Bangkok.
Those who need a letter of invitation for visa purposes should inform us as
soon as possible, including your fax number, so that we can send it you
immediately.

Also, below is an initial list of hotels/lodges located near Chulalongkorn
and the UNCTAD X venue (Queen Sirikit Convention Hall) - c/o of FOCUS on
Global South

See you in Bangkok

Jayson
for ISGN

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


R E G I S T R A T I O N    F O R M


Kindly write your answers in BLOCK letters.

First name:
Last Name;
Age:
Sex:
Nationality:
Home Address:
Languages Spoken:

Name of organization:
Name of organization (in English, where applicable):
Address:
Telephone number(s)
Fax number:
E-mail:

Date of arrival in Bangkok:

Check the ISGN Forums that you are attending

___ 	February 9-10 Post-Seattle Forum on Trade and Agriculture:  Advancing
the 			Call to Take Agriculture out of the WTO 

___	February 12 Forum on Trade, Financial Liberalization and Implications
on 		     the Debt Crisis



Are you also attending the February 7-8 UNCTAD NGO Plenary Caucus?	______
Do you need a letter invitation for visa purposes?	_____


Please send your registration form to:

Naty Bernardino
ISGN-Manila c/o Resource Center for People's Development (RCPD)
e-mail address:  rcpd at info.com.ph          
                 isgn at tri-isys.com
Tel/fax: (632)-436-18-31

or Alice Raymundo
PKMM (National Association of Patriotic Peasants -Philippines)
26 Unit 4 La Salle St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philipines
e-mail:  alice at info.com.ph           
         pkmm_phil at hotmail.com   
Tel/fax:  (632)-912-39-62

or Nicola Bullard
Focus on the Global South (FOCUS)
c/o CUSRI, Chulalongkorn University	
Bangkok 10330 THAILAND
Tel: 662 218 7363/7364/7365	
Fax: 662 255 9976		
E-mail: N.Bullard at focusweb.org
Web Page   http://www.focusweb.org   



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


LIST OF ACCOMODATIONS:

All are located close to the conference venue. 
Please be reminded to refer to Focus on the Global South for a special rate.

White Lodge
Tel : 662-216-8867
Fax : 662-215-3041	Room rates : 	Single	US$	10
					Double	US$	11

Bangkok Christian Guest House
Tel : 662-233-6303, 233-2206, 
234-4983, 234-1852
Fax : 662-237-1742 	Room rates : 	Single	US$	18
					Double	US$	25

Krit Thai Mansion
Tel : 662-215-3042, 215-2370, 215-2582
Fax : 662-216-2241	Room rates : 	Single/Double	US$	21

Jim's Lodge
Tel : 662-255-3100, 255-0190-9
Fax : 662-253-8492 			Room rates : 	Single	US$	23++
					Double	US$	24++

Chom's Boutique Inn
Tel : 662-254-0056, 254-2070-1
Fax : 662-254-0054-5
				Room rates : 	Single/Double	US$	25
				

Asia Hotel
Tel : 662-215-0808
Fax : 662-215-4360
				Room rates : 	Single/Double	US$	44
				

Pathumwan Princess
Tel : 662-216-3700-9, 216-3710-19, 216-3720-29
Fax : 662-216-3730-31, 216-3733
E-mail : ppb at dusit.com 		Room rates :	Single	US$	49
							Double	US$	54

Novotel Bangkok
Tel : 662-255-6888
Fax : 662-255-1284
Website : www.hoteweb.fr	Room rates : 	Single	US$	52
						Double	US$	57

Montien Hotel, Bangkok
Tel : 662-233-7060-9
Fax : 662-236-5218-9
E-mail : montien at ksc15.th.com
Website :www.montien.com 	Room rates :	Single	US$	57
						Double	US$	73
Siam Inter-Continental
Tel : 662-253-0355-57
Fax : 662-254-4804
E-mail : bangkok at interconti.com
Website : www.interconti.com 	Room rates :	Single	US$	76
							Suite	US$	108

The Pan Pacific Bangkok
Tel : 662-632-9000
Fax : 662-632-9011
E-mail : pphbsale at loxinfo.co.th
Website : www.panpac.com 	Room rates :	Single/Double	US$	88++
				

Note : All above rates are generally for room only. 
Please check with your travel agent, sometimes you can get good prices for
airfare/accommodation packages.


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



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)	
    





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