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FTAA Draft Ignores Environment, Poverty Issues
(Environment News Service, November 20, 2003)
Trade ministers from the 34 democratic nations of the Western Hemisphere today advanced the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in Miami at their eighth ministerial meeting. . . . Environmental protection is mentioned, but not given a prominent place in the draft FTAA agreement, raising concerns that protections will be ignored or dismantled in the interest of trade. . . . When completed, the FTAA will be the world's largest free market, with a combined gross domestic product of nearly $13 trillion and 800 million consumers living from Alaska to the tip of South America. . . . The ministers say they are open to the ideas of civil society, and invite contributions in writing from anyone and everyone. "We recognize and welcome the interests and concerns that different sectors of society have expressed in relation to the FTAA. . . . Many cities have asked to be considered for the permanent site of the FTAA Secretariat, including six in the United States - Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Galveston, Houston, and Miami. Other candidate cities are - Cancun, Mexico; Panama City, Panama; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and Puebla, Mexico. . . . Whatever city is finally chosen will have to contend with protesters who object to the globalization of trade the FTAA represents. In Miami today, a scheduled and permitted march sponsored by the AFL-CIO was completed without incident. . . . Chanting “No to FTAA” and “FTAA, Don’t Take Our Jobs Away,” union members, environmentalists and religious and human rights activists from North, Central and South America marched through the streets of Miami Thursday to stop the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Estimates of the number of marchers in the street varied from 10,000 to 20,000. . . . The march topped off a three day series of Stop FTAA events in Miami, which included a workers’ forum on impact of unfair trade on workers throughout the hemisphere and a massive People’s Gala, which celebrated cultures through music, food and dance. . . . According to AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, the protest march delivered a message to every working family that unions and their thousands of allies throughout the hemisphere are “standing beside you, fighting beside you and marching beside you” to ensure there will not be an FTAA.

posted by Lorenzo 10:28 AM