What the G8 must do on Trade Justice

Whilst the G8 is not the legitimate decision making forum for international trade negotiations, a meaningful commitment to positive action from the G8 governments would indicate that world leaders are serious about delivering trade justice. 

As Nelson Mandela said when he spoke at the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally in Trafalgar Square in February:

"Trade Justice is a truly meaningful way for the developed countries to show commitment to bringing about an end to global poverty. The G8 leaders, when they meet in Scotland in July, have already promised to focus on the issue of poverty, especially in Africa . I say to all those leaders: do not look the other way; do not hesitate. Recognise that the world is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision."

The G8 is well known for bland and meaningless words on trade in the communiqué issued at the end of each summit. This year, more than ever, the usual G8 fare of a bland pledge to ‘make trade work for development’ would be both an insult to the millions c amp aigning and calling for Trade Justice and a crime against those living in poverty due to the injustices of a world trade system largely created and perpetuated by the G8. 

To make poverty history the G8 must agree to:

• No longer demand trade reforms as a condition of aid or debt relief and use their controlling stake in the World Bank and IMF to ensure that these institutions do likewise.

• Work with other WTO members to support binding Special and Differential Treatment for all developing countries in the WTO to ensure that they are not forced to implement agreements that are against their own development interests.

• Keep water supply out of the General Agreement on Trade in Services and to withdraw all their requests that other WTO members make legally binding liberalisation commitments in the water supply sector.

• Work within the WTO to ensure that developing countries can reduce their tariffs by a smaller amount than G8 countries, and protect some key development products from any reduction at all, in all sectors under negotiation in the WTO.

• Follow through the mandate established at the World Summit on Sustainable Development to "Actively promote corporate responsibility and accountability, based on Rio Principles, including through the full development and effective implementation of intergovernmental agreements.", by committing to work with other UN members to establish binding internationally agreed rules for corporate accountability.

• Commit to unilaterally eliminating all our agricultural export subsidies by 2010 and ensure that none of their agricultural exports are dumped on the markets of developing countries.

• Work to ensure that global trade policies and practices do not undercut internationally agreed social and environmental standards, in particular core labour standards, and as a first step work with other WTO members to support granting the ILO full observer status at the WTO.

• Not create bilateral and regional trade agreements that require developing countries to go beyond commitments made in the WTO.