No new Round, Turn Around- CAFRA At The WTO

It was not going to be another run-of-the-mill, another talkshop. The power of civil society had won one rung of the "Battle of Seattle". Civil society had successfully staged a "lock-down" of the all important World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting held in Seattle, Washington, USA from November 26 - December 3, 1999.

Through the collective sponsorship of the Centre of Concern, Washington, D.C., DAWN Caribbean and Women in Development Europe (WIDE), CAFRA was privileged to be a part of that historic WTO Ministerial Meeting - lobbying, writing statements and speaking at workshop and seminars on the Caribbean situation.

CAFRA was represented by Coordinator Nelcia Robinson, as part of the Centre of Concern/DAWN/WIDE team. Robinson said their work was particulary valuable in the streets, as the Convention Centre, at the hotel (into the late hours of the night) and in the writing of statements and media releases.

The CAFRA Coordinator noted that currently there is a wide ranging debate over the specific shape that should be given to the trade and cooperation agreement which would succeed the Lomé Convention between the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states.

In the EU Council of Development Ministers’ Gender Resolution (1995), there is recognition of the fact that "reducing existing gender disparities is a crucial issue of development, in terms of aid effectiveness and social justice". However, where gender analysis has been undertaken, the results show a disturbing male bias, Robinson said.

The WTO expresses anti-popular development strategies resulting in negative effects on the poor and marginalised. Particularly, it has no special commitment to reducing gender inequality or mainstreaming gender analysis in its trade policy. CAFRA’s reserach on the impact of trade policies on women in the Windward Islands bears this out.

During the lock-down, crowds formed a human chain around hotels to prevent delegates from getting to the Convention Centre. They carried sologans such as : WTO GO HOME; FIX IT OR MIX IT; HANDS OFF MY GENES; CHIQUITA EATS INDEPENENT FARMERS; NO NEW ROUND, TURN AROUND. The National Guard and police came out. Mayhem was everywhere. Tear gas, pepper spray and beatings sent 500 protesters to jail. A state of emergency and curfew followed.

In the end, talks broke down. No agreement was reached. Ministers, taking into account the protest on the streets, decided not to sign on a consensus for a new agreement.

The Lomé Convention is the main form of development cooperation between the EU and the ACP - made up of 71 African (48), Caribbean (15) and Pacific (8) states. The current convention expired on February 29, 2000.