Close to 300 civil society outfits from Asia, Africa, Europe, Arab and Latin American nations have written a letter to the Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) and member states asking them not to dilute proposals that may threaten food security in developing countries.
The letter comes a day ahead of WTO’s Bali Ministerial meet from December 3 to 6, to discuss the G-33 group’s (developing countries) proposal to address the imbalance in global farm subsidy rules.
“We, as members of the global civil society, urge the Director-General of WTO, Roberto Azevedo, and member states, to take the issue of food security in developing countries as a matter of serious and immediate concern, and not to render the G-33 proposal on public food stockholding a travesty by asking developing countries to agree to the current text on the peace clause,” says the letter released here on Monday. The letter said it was a matter of “urgent concern” that all elements of the G-33 proposal had been rejected for consideration in Bali and a peace clause (or due restraint clause) on the G-33 proposal was currently the only element being discussed.
“A peace clause means that the use of such subsidies is still illegal but WTO Members will not go to dispute settlement for this period. Director General Robeto Azevedo has suggested a “take it or leave it” text on the due restraint clause for Bali. However, this is to be effective only for four years and does not guarantee that a permanent solution will eventually materialise. Further, the conditions sought to be imposed are severe,” the letter said.
Among the signatories to the letter are Action Aid, Africa Trade Network, Arab NGO Network, Oxfam, Third World Network, global farmers’ and workers organisations among others.