International civil society rejects the WTO Doha process and outcomes.

• Position: News in Brief

More than 100 NGOs and social movements, participating in a post-Doha meeting in December, 2001, condemned the WTO's Doha Ministerial Conference. They rejected the legitimacy of the Doha Ministerial Declaration saying it was a result of an outrageous process of manipulation.

The NGOs said that a vast number of developing countries had opposed negotiations on new issues and industrial tariffs as well as the establishment of a Trade Negotiations Committee. This opposition, they said, was clear before and at Doha. And yet, their views were consistently brushed. In the end the countries were pressurised to accept a Declaration, which did not reflect their positions.

The NGOs have condemned the non-transparent, discriminatory and arbitrary methods and processes presided over by the WTO Director-General and the Secretariat and directed by the major developed countries. Such behaviour and processes, they said, are particularly disgraceful for an international organisation that boasts that its core principles are transparency, nondiscrimination and the rule of law.

The NGOs have committed themselves to fight against the disastrous aspects of the postDoha work programme of the WTO and against the undemocratic nature of the WTO system.

La Societe Civile Internationate rejette le processus et les resultats de Ia reunion de Doha organisee par l'Organisation Mondiale du Commerce

Plus do 100 ONG et mouvements sociaux, participant une reunion post Doha en decembre 2001, ont condamne la Conference Ministerielle de Doha organisee par I'OMC. Elles ont...