Regional Trade Strategy Meeting: The Battle of Hong Kong Continues

At the 6 th Ministerial of the World Trade Organization last December 2005, the big trading superpowers were able to pull out a deal at the last minute, which, if fully implemented, will be severely detrimental to the majority of the world’s peoples. The deal in Hong Kong has given the multilateral institution new momentum and if unchallenged, the WTO will be able to conclude the so-called Doha “Development” Round by the end of 2006. And the next major opportunities for us to affect these negotiations are at the coming talks to finalize the modalities on Agriculture and Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) in the last week of April and at the next General Council Meeting in Geneva on May 2006.

It was with this sense of urgency that representatives of social movements, NGOs and trade activists from 14 countries gathered here in Bangkok, Thailand on February 28-March 1, to map out a strategy and action plan to prevent the round from concluding in 2006.

KEY DATES of MOBILIZATION

We commit to mobilize at the national, regional and international levels on the following key dates:

• March 2 onwards:  Trial of the two anti-WTO political prisoners in Hong Kong
• April 22-23: IMF/WB Spring Meetings, Washington DC
• April 30: Finalization of modalities on Agriculture and NAMA
• May 3-6: Asian Development Bank Annual Governors Meeting (AGM) in Hyderabad, India
• May 15-16: WTO General Council, Geneva
• July 27-28: WTO General Council, Geneva
• July 31: Deadline of submission of second round of revised offers in Services
• September 19-20: IMF/WB Annual Meetings, Singapore