MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2002

Leaked negotiating document shows European Union, United States, pushing to submit Johannesburg Declaration to WTO rules

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - An internal European Union-United States joint document obtained by the Council of Canadians demonstrates that the World Summit for Sustainable Development is fast becoming a new round for an international trade agreement, rather than a conference on how to face the environmental and social problems the world is facing.

The partial document, covering parts IX (Means of Implementation) and X (Trade) of the WSSD Draft Plan for Implementation, intends to subjugate the Johannesburg Declaration to the rules of the World Trade Organisation.

According to Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, "this is clear evidence of the hijacking of the Johannesburg by powerful corporate interests.

"The European Union and the United States' position is to do nothing for sustainable development. They are clearly opposed to any kind of deadlines except for those favourable to trade and they oppose any kind of environmental or human rights regulation mechanisms. They are basically trying to cut-and-paste WTO paragraphs into the declaration."

Many paragraphs of the leaked document is sugar-coated with greenwash, which is defined as disinformation disseminated to present a false environmentally responsible public image. But in most cases, the language doesn't leave room for subtlety.

For example, under Part X (Trade), the European Union and the United States are calling upon:

"WTO members to fulfil the commitments made in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, notably in terms of access to markets, (…) by implementing the following actions (…) by 1 January 2005:
(a) Review all special and differential treatments provisions (…) in accordance with the Doha Ministerial Declaration;
(b) Aim to reduce, or as appropriate, eliminate tariffs on non-agricultural products, including the reduction or elimination of tariff peaks, high tariff and tariff escalation, as well as non-tariff barriers, in particular on products of export interest to developing countries."

The Council of Canadians representatives in Johannesburg will meet with the Canadian delegation in South Africa at 6:30pm local time (12:30pm eastern) to confront the Canadian position at the WSSD. It is widely known that Canada supports the American and European position.

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