15 December 2005

TRADE JUSTICE DROP THE DEBT MORE AND BETTER AID

UK PUBLIC SHOW OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR TRADE JUSTICE AMID ROW OVER SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY, the UK's largest ever anti-poverty coalition, today revealed a survey showing that 83% of the UK public support the campaign's call for rich countries to allow poor countries the freedom to use trade to help end poverty. This public view runs counter to the European Union's (EU) increasingly aggressive stance in world trade negotiations. 

The survey, carried out by TNS, shortly before the current World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting, also showed that 61% of those questioned support the call for 'trade justice not free trade'.

Speaking from Hong Kong, Steve Tibbett, from ActionAid UK on behalf of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY said: "This statement of support from the UK public reinforces the year-long call of campaigners who have been urging the UK Government and its partners in the EU to stop forcing free trade on poor countries by pushing them to open their economies." 

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY believes that for developing countries the freedom to choose the best policies for their public services (such as water, health and education) is crucial. However such freedom may come at a price as poor countries are being pressed in the Hong Kong talks to make concessions on opening their markets to industrial goods and services in return for agricultural reform by rich countries. Such concessions would have a devastating impact on the ability of developing countries to build and regulate their own services and industries.

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY is among civil society groups across Europe questioning the EU's tactics and their continued attempts, along with the US, to force developing countries into negotiations that would expand the opportunity of groups of multinationals and rich countries to demand negotiations with developing countries in specific sectors.

Tibbett added: "It is hypocritical for rich countries to call this a development round when we are seeing more evidence of developing countries being forced into liberalising their service and manufacturing sectors. It would be disastrous for the year to end in trade negotiations that are in danger of making poverty permanent."

Many developing countries are consistently voicing their opposition, yet the EU has disregarded this in its attempt to promote an agenda that explicitly advances the interests of Europe's services multinationals. EU officials have also dropped all pretence of a development perspective in services by confirming that the introduction of an even stronger compulsory approach is still a priority for the EU.

By partially supporting the EU's approach to services negotiations in Hong Kong, the UK Government is in danger of breaking its public pledge made in their election manifesto that poor countries should not be forced to open their markets.

Glen Tarman, coordinator of the Trade Justice Movement said: 
"The UK Government must stick to its stated policy of not forcing poor countries to liberalise their economies. The promises made to millions of campaigners must be kept and the UK must stand firm in pushing for a deal that prioritises the needs of people living in poverty around the world. Any push beyond the present voluntary approach to open up markets in services by developing countries is unacceptable; this is what was agreed back in 2001 and now the EU wants to change the agreed rules, making them worse for poor countries." 

In November, the UK's governing Labour Party responded to the largest ever mass lobby of Parliament in the history of British democracy with a statement on services and compulsory targets or 'benchmarks': "The EU's proposals reflect the balance of views amongst member states rather than that of the UK alone" and the UK "strongly supports the existing 'request offer process'.

www.makepovertyhistory.org  

For more information please contact: 
In the UK: Catherine Cullen, MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY - 020 7561 7572
In Hong Kong: Steve Tibbett, ActionAid UK- 6174 5592
Glen Tarman, The Trade Justice Movement - 6403 8512

NOTES TO EDITORS

The survey:
TNS, a leading global provider of market information, carried out the survey of 1,952 people between 2 and 6 December 2005. Respondents were asked whether they agreed with the statement "rich countries should allow poor countries the freedom to use trade to help end poverty." 83% agreed. 61% agreed with the statement 'we need trade justice not free trade'.

About TNS
TNS collect, analyse and interpret information to help our clients better understand the needs and wants of their customers. They provide research, advice and insight on market segmentation, advertising and communications, new product development, brand performance and stakeholder
management. They are also one of the leading providers of social and political polling. From a global network, which spans 70 countries, they provide local expertise and knowledge, together with internationally consistent information and analysis to multi-national organisations. 
Further information on TNS can be found on www.tns-global.com.

About MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY:

• On Tuesday 13 December, the first day of talks in Hong Kong, campaigners met with Peter Mandelson to present him with 476,733 emails from supporters of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty demanding trade justice.

• In April, 25,000 people took part in an overnight vigil for trade justice in Westminster; the biggest protest during the 2005 UK election period. 

• In November, 375 MPs were lobbied in a single day: the largest ever mass lobby of Parliament.

• Ahead of the WTO meeting, over 750,000 people in the UK had cast a Vote for Trade Justice to show their support for the right of developing countries to decide their own trade policies.

• MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY is a unique UK alliance of over 500 charities, trade unions and campaigning groups supported by leading public figures and celebrities who are all mobilising around key opportunities in 2005 to drive forward the struggle against poverty and injustice working in partnership with the Global Call to Action against Poverty.

• The campaign was launched on 1 January 2005 and will run until the end of the year.

• MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY challenges governments to deliver trade justice, drop the debt and deliver more and better aid in order to eradicate global poverty.

The Trade Justice Movement (www.tjm.org.uk) is a coalition of more than 70 UK organisations, including campaign groups, trade unions, faith groups and environmental and development organisations, with a combined membership of over 9 million people. The Trade Justice Movement is one of the networks at the core of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY (www.makepovertyhistory.org) - an unprecedented coalition of more than 500 organisations calling for trade justice, drop the debt and more and better aid. 

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