Subject: ICDA WTO Impact List: Monday 27 August:[UN LDC3]: Apocalypse for LDCs?; Last Call from Food Security; A Tale of Two Worlds -- Diverging; Free Trade Limited
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 18:11:52 +0200
Organization: ICDA's WTO Impact List
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ICDA WTO Impact List: Monday 27 August:[UN LDC3]: Apocalypse
for LDCs?; Last Call from Food Security; A Tale of Two Worlds --
Diverging; Free Trade Limited
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Dear WTO Impact Lister,

One of the more challenging aspects of the WTO Impact List, with special
focus on Least Developed Countries, is its uncanny ability to crosscut many
of our other impact lists « with special focus ». It can be somewhat
problematic in the sense that it can prompt the question of why there needs
to be « a special focus » at all on this topic, especially because not many
people followed the conference, or were indeed aware of this Third United
Nations Conference on LDCs that took place in May.

That said, looking at the issues covered in most of August’s WTOIL, much
made reference to Africa and, not so much the developing world as the
so-called “poorest of the poor”, or Least Developed Countries. Consequently,
the WTOIL essentially transformed itself into a list addressing the
existential nature of Africa on the global trade scene, especially at a time
when most Western thinkers – and indeed, much of the West -- believe its
role is inconsequential.

You could be forgiven for thinking that after Nato’s illegal intervention in
Kosovo in 1999, in which the alliance sidestepped the United Nations, our
morals would be jettisoned to be replaced by the increasingly neoliberal
agenda peddled and promulgated by the likes of WTOphiles, and their equally
slobbering sycophants. But an even bigger danger is looming – that of the
UN, which is now effectively with its Global Compact, itself facing a crisis
of legitimacy, especially with its apparent support of Genetically Modified
crops.

Far be it for any of us to cast aspersions on Mark Malloch Brown’s tenure as
UNDP administrator. However, as clear as day, his association with the
proponents of GM crops – as exemplified by the now-controversial Human
Development Report (HDR) – is making him appear complicit in the bittersweet
symphony that the life of many an LDC remains today – especially in an
increasingly globalising world. The idea, as suggested by UK Labour MP, Oona
King, that “Globalisation means that a conscripted child labourer in a
Congolese mine is linked to a teenage PlayStation addict in Bethnal Green”,
is, at best, a savage indictment of the neoliberal agenda of open/free
markets.

Put simply: globalization matters. The WTO matters. Most importantly, LDCs
matter. We cannot surely expect sustainable development to work if we do not
look at the structural causes of imbalances – be they environmental or
trade-related. Neither can we expect that our failure to address such issues
is nothing more than a perverse complicity in the very sorry tale of Africa.
The issues that we cover do matter – it matters just as much as trade.

Emmanuel
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If you have any constructive suggestions or comments about the ICDA
WTO Impact List, or articles and news to contribute, do not hesitate to
contact us!

Best regards,
Emmanuel.K.Bensah & Hannes Huhtaniemi & Julio Montes de Oca
ekbensah@icda.be jhh25@icda.be jmontes@icda.be

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List of contents:
1) ADDRESS TO THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON LDCs
2) APOCALYPSE NOW
3) THE BANKERS' VISION IS LIMITED
4) THE NATURAL/DEVELOPING WORLD AND FREE TRADE
5) LEARNING FROM GENOA
6) FORGET GLOBALISATION -- AFRICA IS TOO BUSY BEING LEFT BEHIND
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1) ADDRESS TO THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
From: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/sgsm7801.doc.htm
Date: 14 May, 2001
By: UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan
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[QUOTE OF THE ARTICLE]
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"For all too many of those people, life is a continuous struggle against
hunger, malnutrition, polluted drinking water, infectious disease,
ignorance, oppression and violent conflict. They have not chosen to live
like that. Let us not fail more than 600 million people, for whom this
Conference may be the last chance of a better life."
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SECRETARY-GENERAL SEES ‘LAST CHANCE OF BETTER LIFE’ FOR 600 MILLION PEOPLE