This letter is in response to a Letter "Last and best chance to move Doha to a successful conclusion", in the Financial Times, November 8, 2005, printed in the Financial Times, November 15, 2005
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals , represent tens of millions of workers and farmers, landless and unemployed, human rights , development and environmental campaigners, women, students , academics and citizens from all corners of the earth.
We are writing in response to the letter signed by the CEOs and chairmen of the world’s "leading corporations" in which they urge WTO member governments to conclude the Doha round of negotiations "on time." ( "Last and best chance to move Doha to a successful conclusion", November 8)
Although we have no illusions about why the corporations are so eager to see the round concluded, their argument that trade liberalisation is a "strong driving force for global economic growth, job creation and wider consumer choice" is utterly misleading.
Their first claim about growth is questionable . A recent report from the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), compares average growth rates in 175 countries between 1960-1979 and 1980 – 2000, divided into five groups according to their per capita income at the start of each period. In the top four groups, average growth rates fell by more than half, from averages of 2. 4 to 3 .1 % in 1960-1979 to averages of .7 to 1. 3 % in 1980-2000. Only the group with the lowest per capita GDP showed a tiny increase, from 1.7 to 1.8%, even though it includes fast growing China and India . ("The Scorecard on Development: 26 years of Diminished Progress", CEPR, September 2005, www.cepr.net , p.7)
Figures from the ILO tell the same story: the mean world GDP per capita growth fell from 3. 6 % in 1961 to just 1 % in 2003. ("A fair globalisation ”, World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalisation, ILO, 2004 , p. 36)
Latin America shows the most dramatic reversal of fortunes: between 1960 and 1979 the region grew by more than 80 % , however this has dwindled to just 11 % by 1980-2000 and 3% for 2000-2005 . This is the worst economic performance in modern Latin American history, even including the Great Depression. Although the world’s "leading corporations" argue that further trade liberalisation would reverse this trend, the reality is that during the past 25 years Latin America has already undertaken across-the-board and unilateral liberalisation of goods and services, in addition to wholesale privatisation , under the guidance of more than 80 International Monetary Fund programmes. (CEPR, p. 8)
In contrast, 1980-2000 was a period of accelerated trade liberalisation: the average contribution of trade to GDP went from 40% to almost 60% (ILO, 2004, p. 25). There does not appear to be a strong correlation between growth and increased trade flows.
Second, they claim that trade liberalisation will lead to job creation. Again, if we look at the research, between 1990 and 2002 unemployment increased in 7 out of 9 regions. In Southeast Asia unemployment almost doubled from 3.6% in 1990 to 6.5% in 2002. Similarly, in that period unemployment grew by almost 50% in Latin America and even in East Asia, which includes China , unemployment almost doubled from 3.6% in 1990 to 6.5% in 2002. These regions are all experiencing high population growth, so the absolute number of unemployed is growing at an even faster rate. And although the world’s top 200 companies account for one quarter of world economic activity, they employ less than 1 % of the global workforce. ( Institute of Policy Studies, December 2000)
We realise that the WTO and trade liberalisation has been good for the corporate bottom-line . In fact, 49 of the 63 companies signing the letter are in “Forbes 2000” (2004) which lists their combined profits as $109.29 billion and their total market value as $2,180.5 billion. But, before asserting extravagant claims for the benefits of trade liberalisation, the CEOs of the world’s leading corporations should look at the figures . Otherwise, they risk being charged with distorting the fact s in pursuit of their own interests.
In the pressured days before Hong Kong, trade negotiators in Geneva would be well-advised to look at the facts rather than listen to corporate lobbying.
List of signitories:
| A. T. M. Zaffullah Chowdury (Dr), Project Coordinator, Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Bangladesh |
| Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director, VOICE, Bangladesh |
| Alison Healey, Coordinator, Justice in Trade Agreement Network of The International Grail, Australia |
| Alessandro Pelizzari, Board Member, ATTAC Switzerland, Switzerland |
| Allejandro Villamar, General Council Member, Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, Mexico |
| Ana Maria Nemenzo, President, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Philippines |
| Andrew de Sousa, National Organizer, Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA), USA |
| Anil Naidoo, Director, Blue Planet Project, Canada |
| Annelies Allain, Coordinator, International Code Documentation Centre-IBFAN, Malaysia |
| Annick Coupe, General Secretary, Union Syndicale Solidaires, France |
| Anselmo Lee, Executive Director, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Thailand |
| Antonio Tricarico, CRBM/Tradewach, Italy |
| Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director, The Oakland Institute, USA |
| Arsenio Tanchuling, Executive Director, Tambuyog Development Center, and Convenor of Alyansa Agrikultura, Philippines |
| Arze Glipo, Integrated Rural Development Foundation, Philippines |
| Azubike Nwokoye, West African Regional Focal Point, Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Nigeria. |
| Badrul Alam, President, Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Bangladesh |
| Badrul Arup Rahee, LOKOJ Institute, Bangladesh |
| Benjamin Castello, Chairperson, Coalition Jubilee 2000, Angola |
| Beth Burrows, President/Director, Edmonds Institute, USA |
| Bonnie Setiawan, Executive Director, Institute for Global Justice, Indonesia |
| Brenda Crawford, Interim Executive Director, Food First, USA |
| C.P. Chandrasekhar, Managing Trustee, Economic Research Foundation, India |
| Carlos Ruiz, Attac Spain, Spain |
| Carmen Blanco Valer, Ordförande/Presidenta, UBV/Latinamerika, Sweden |
| Carol Barton,Coordinator, Women’s International Coalition for Economic Justice, USA |
| Carol Bergin, Founder, Initiative Colibri, Germany |
| Cecilia Olivet, Transnational Institute, Uruguay |
| Chan Beng Seng, Executive Director, Documentation for Action Groups in Asia, Hong Kong |
| Charles Abugre, Head of Policy, Christian Aid, UK |
| Christian Felber, Co-founder, ATTAC Austria, Austria |
| Clare Nolan, NGO representative, Sisters of the Good Shepherd |
| D L O Mendis, Secretary/Convenor, Sri Lanka Pugwash Group, Sri Lanka |
| D Roy Laifungbam (Dr), Director, Centre for Organisation Research & Education (CORE), India |
| Damian Sullivan, International Liaison Officer, Friends of the Earth, Australia |
| Dan Gallin, Chair, Global Labour Institute, Switzerland |
| David Kane, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USA |
| Deepa Bharathi, Committee for Asian Women, Thailand |
| Dembe Moussa Dembele, African Forum on Alternatives, Senegal |
| Dennis Arnold, International Coordinator, Thai Labour Campaign, Thailand |
| Dennis Brutus, (Professor), Patron, Jubilee South Africa; Boardmember, Center for Economic Justice, South Africa |
| Devinder Sharma, Director, Forum for Biotechnology & Food Security, India |
| Dot Keet, Alternative Information and Development Center (AIDC), South Africa |
| Doug Hellinger, Executive Director, The Development GAP, USA |
| Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary, World YWCA |
| Dra. Rita Schwentesius Rindermann, Coordinadora de la Red de Mercados y Tianguis Orgánicos de México, México |
| Elaine Zuckerman, President, Gender Action, USA |
| Eva-Britt Svensson, Member of the European Parliament for the United Left Group, (GUE/NGL), Sweden |
| Fatima Mello, Coordinator, Rede Brasileira pela Integracao dos Povos, Brazil |
| Farhad Jahanmahan, WTO Coordinator, ATTAC, Sweden |
| Felipe Van Keirsbilck, Permanent au Secrétariat Général de la CNE, |
| Ferran Garcia, Veterinarios Sin Fronteras, Spain |
| Fiona Dove, Director, Transnational Institute, Netherlands |
| Fr Frank Nally, Missionary Society of St Columban, London |
| Gabriele Zimmer, Member of the European Parliament for the United Left Group (GUE/NGL), Germany |
| Gérard Choplin, Coordinator, European Farmers Coordination, Belgium |
| Giampiero Alhadeff, Secretary General, Solidar, Belgium |
| Giles Ji Ungpakorn (Associate Prof.), Workers’ Democracy, Thailand |
| Gonzalo Berron, Coordinator, Hemispheric Social Alliance, the Americas |
| Golden Munyaka, President, Poverty Forum, USA |
| Greg Asbed, Co-Director, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, USA |
| Greg Mclean, Assistant National Secretary, Australian Services Union, Australia |
| Gunn Olander, Leader, KFO (Norwegian Confederation of Municipal Employees), Norway |
| Guy Taylor, Globalise Resistance, UK |
| Hans Engelberts, General Secretary, Public Service International, France |
| Harekrishna Debnathm, Chairperson, National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), India |
| Henry Saragih, International Coordinator, Via Campesina (International Peasants Federation) |
| Herman Kumara, Convener, Fisheries Solidarity, Sri Lanka |
| Igbal, Headchief of Gema Prodem, Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia |
| Jane Kelsey (Professor), Action, Research and Education Network of Aotearoa (ARENA NZ) |
| Jean-Luc Roux, Head of Political and Business, Greenpeace International |
| Jean Grossholtz, Diverse Women for Diversity, India |
| Jeff Powell, Coordinator, The Bretton Woods Project, UK |
| John Furman, President, Central New York Citizens in Action, USA |
| John Stewart, Director, Nonviolent Action and Strategies for Social Change, Zimbabwe |
| Jonas Sjöstedt, Member of the European Parliament for the United Left Group (GUE/NGL), Sweden |
| Joseph E. Goddard, General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers and Trustee Trustee of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, Barbados |
| Joseph F. Purugganan, Coordinator, Stop the New Round! Coalition, Philippines |
| Josu Egireun, Executive Committee, ESK trade union, Basque Country |
| K Balasubramaniam (Dr), Co-ordinator, Health Action International Asia, Sri Lanka |
| K. Ashok Rao, Secretary General National, Confederation of Officers Associations, India |
| Kalyanee Shah, President, SEWA, Nepal |
| Lamin Camara, Board Member, Lend A Hand Society, the Gambia |
| Larry Brown, National Secretary Treasurer, National Union of Public and General Employees, Canada |
| Lena Bröckl, Coordination Committee Member, ATTAC Germany, Germany |
| Lidy B. Nacpil, International Coordinator, Jubilee South |
| Liina Carr, International Secretary, Confederation of Estonian Trade Unions, Estonia |
| Linda Hartke, Coordinator, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Switzerland |
| Linus Jayathilake, President, United Federation of Labor, Sri Lanka |
| Louise Richards, Chief Executive, War on Want, UK |
| M.C. George (Dr), national trustee, Infam (Indian farmers movement), India |
| Mahfuz Ullah, Secretary General, Centre for Sustainable Development, Bangladesh |
| Malgorzata Swiatek, Board Member, ATTAC Poland, Poland |
| Marcello Malentacchi, General Secretary of the International Metalworkers’ Federation |
| Maria Luisa Mendonça, Co-Director, Social Network for Justice and Human Rights, Brazil |
| Marianne Hochuli, Director, The Berne Declaration, Switzerland |
| Mark Levinson, Chief Economist, UNITE HERE, USA |
| Mark Ritchie, President, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, USA |
| Martha Mercado Ruiz and Erika García, Coordinators, Solidarity Group-Arenal (GRUDESA), Arenal, Nicaragua |
| Mary Rusimbi, Executive Director, Tanzania Gender Networking Programme, Tanzania |
| Matthias Reichl, Spokesperson, Center for Encounter and Active Non-Violence, Austria |
| Matyas Benyik, President, ATTAC Hungary, Hungary |
| Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, The Council of Canadians, Canada |
| Meagen Baldwin, Executive Director, WIDE, Brussels |
| Meenakshi Raman, Chair, Friends of the Earth International |
| Melissa Moore, Program Coordinator, Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, US |
| Mika Rönkkö, Chairman, Attac Finland |
| Mohiuddin Ahmad, Chairperson, Asia/Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) |
| Muhammad Hilaluddin, Chief Director, Angikar Bangladesh Foundation, Bangladesh |
| Neil Kearney, General Secretary, International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation, Belgium |
| Nikhil Aziz, Executive Director, Grassroots International, USA |
| Nizam Assaf (Dr), Director, Amman Center for Human Rights Studies, Jordan |
| Njoki Njoroge Njehu, Executive Director, Solidarity Africa Network in Action, Kenya |
| Noy Prasittiporn Kan-On-Sri, Assembly of The Poor, Thailand |
| Nur Amalia, National Facilitator, Indonesian Peoples Forum (IPF), Indonesia |
| Olivier Hoedeman, CEO, Corporate Europe Observatory, The Netherlands |
| Oono Kazuoki, Chief of Working Committee of No-to-WTO Coalition, Japan |
| Padma Pushpakanthi, Convener, Savistri Women’s Network, Sri Lanka |
| Paul Dupret, Advisor on trade to the European Parliament, United Left Group (GUE/NGL), Belgium |
| Peter Fuchs, Trade & Investment Campaigner, World Economy, Ecology & Development, Germany |
| Peter Hardstaff, Head of Policy, World Development Movement, UK |
| Peter Lavina, Councilor, Mindanao Workers Against Globalization, Philippines |
| Peter Rossett, Center for the Study of the Americas (CENSA), Center for the Study of Change in the Mexican Countryside (CECCAM), Mexico |
| Prem Dangal, Secretary General, All Nepal Peasants’ Association, Nepal |
| R.Sreedhar, Environics Trust and mm&P, India |
| Ramesh Singh, Chief Executive, Action Aid International, South Africa |
| Ranee Hassarungsee, Secretary, Social Agenda Working Group (Social Watch), Thailand |
| Raquel D Castillo, National Coordinator, E-Net Philippines, Philippines |
| Ritu Dewan (Professor) Department of Economics, University of Mumbai, India |
| Ron Oswald, General Secretary, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), Switzerland |
| Rosemary Viswanath, Chief Functionary, EQUATIONS, India |
| Sam Vuthy, Womyns Agenda for Change, Cambodia |
| Sana Das, World Dignity Forum, India |
| Sanjai Bhatt (Professor) Social Work, University of Delhi, India |
| Sarath Fernando, Moderator, Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform, Sri Lanka |
| Séamus P. Finn OMI, Missionary Oblates, Justice/Peace & Integrity of Creation, USA |
| Sean McDonagh, author, ‘To Care for the Earth’, USA |
| Sigeya Kihara, Chairperson, Globalization Watch Hiroshima, Japan |
| Smitu Kothari, Director, Intercultural Resources, India |
| Sr. Estela Cordero, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission, Philippines – Papua New Guinea |
| Sudyumna Dahal, Secretary General, Associations of Youth Organisations, Nepal |
| Sunila Abeysekera, Executive Director, INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre, Sri Lanka |
| Syed Saiful Haque, Welfare Association of Repatriated Bangladeshi Employees, Bangladesh |
| Terry Collingsworth, Executive Director, International Labor Rights Fund, USA |
| Thea Lee, Policy Director, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) |
| Thomas Kocherry, Executive Committee Member, National Fishworkers’ Forum, India |
| Thomas Wallgren, Chair, Network Institute for Global Democratisation, Finland & Peru |
| Tissa De Silva, Chairman, Peoples Policy Institute, Sri Lanka |
| Titi Soentoro, Regional Coordinator, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, Thailand |
| Tony Clarke, President, Polaris Institute, Canada |
| Tracey Wheatley, Protect the Future, Hungary |
| Vicent Garces, President, Centro de Estudios Rurales y de Agricultura Internacional, Spain |
| Vita de Waal, Executive Director, Foundation for Gaia, UK |
| Walden Bello (Dr), Executive Director, Focus on the Global South, Thailand |
| Wallace Ryan Kuroiwa, Minister and Team leader, United Church of Christ, USA |
| William Gois, Regional Coordinator, Migrant Forum in Asia, Philippines |
| Yanuar Nugroho, Executive Director, The Business Watch Indonesia, Indonesia |
| Yoko Akimoto, Secretariat Member, ATTAC Japan |
| Yoshihide Kanno, Chairperson, Asian Farmers Exchange Center, Japan |
| Zakir Kibria, Director, Bangla Praxis, Bangladesh |
| Zeki Ergas, Executive Secretary, Millennium Solidarity Geneva Group, Switzerland |
