From: "Charles Lerche" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: WTO and Human Rights
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 13:13:34 +0200

RE: RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND TRADE
_____________________________
FROM SUNS  31 August, 1999

Trade: New round must examine human rights implications
Geneva, Aug 30 (Someshwar Singh) þ- The new round of multilateral
trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) must
examine the human rights implications of trade liberalization,
according to a resolution adopted by the United Nations Sub-
Commission on Human Rights.

The Sub-commission, which ended its month-long deliberations last
week, passed all resolutions related to the realization of
economic, social and cultural right without a vote þ except the
one on 'Trade liberalization and its impact on human rights.'
This resolution was adopted by 18 votes in favour, none against
and four abstentions.

It has made a categorical statement against the use of trade
sanctions, in  declaring "that sanctions and negative
conditionalities which directly or indirectly affect trade are
not appropriate ways of promoting the integration of human rights
in international economic policy and practice."

The resolution calls upon governments and international economic
policy fora (including the WTO) to undertake comprehensive and
systematic studies, in consultation with United Nations and
regional human rights mechanisms and relevant civil society
organizations, of the human rights and social impacts of economic
liberalization programmes, policies and laws.

During the course of the amendments to the resolution, however,
critical elements relating to the WTO were eliminated, reportedly
in the interest of obtaining a consensus.

For instance, the draft resolution had called for "human rights
impact studies to be completed prior to the commencement of
further economic liberalization negotiations, such as those
envisaged at the World Trade Organization."

By deleting any such reference, it is clear that any obstacles to
the new round of trade negotiations by way of time-bound human
rights considerations have been removed.

Another key paragraph of the draft deleted from the final text
adopted related to some specific aspects of the WTO agenda to
which it drew attention. The para, a preambular one emphasizing
some negative aspects, that was removed, read as follows:
"Emphasizing that the human rights implications of key aspects of
the current agenda of the World Trade organization, including
further liberalization in the areas of agriculture and services,
and especially the possible inclusion of health and education
services, of the proposed expansion of the agenda in the area of
investment and/or competition policy, and of the operation of the
Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property
should be carefully examined."

In contrast, specific demand on the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development has been retained.

UNCTAD has been asked "to include in its programme of work,
especially in the preparation for UNCTAD-X conference on
'Development strategies in an increasingly interdependent world:
applying the lessons of the past to make globalization an
effective instrument for the development of all countries and all
people', a specific focus on ways and means to incorporate human
rights principles in the process of international trade policy
formulation."

According to the resolution as finally adopted, the High
Commissioner of Human Rights has been requested to "intensify
efforts at dialogue with the WTO and its member states on the
human rights dimensions of trade and investment liberalization,
and to take steps to ensure that human rights principles and
obligations are fully integrated in future negotiations in the
WTO."

For the NGOs interested in seeing this resolution through, it was
a positive step nonetheless.

"This initiative shows that the United Nations Human Rights
machinery is ready to take on the economic institutions driving
trade liberalization," said Peter N. Prove of The Lutheran World
Federation, in charge of International Affairs and Human Rights.
"It is also a clear indication that the UN Human Rights Programme
will be watching the new round of WTO negotiations, and that
civil society organizations have a strong ally in the UN Human
Rights Sub-Commission," he added. "This resolution constitutes a
strong challenge to the member states to harmonize their trade
obligations with those in the field of human rights."

Next year, the Sub-Commission is bound to receive many
interesting reports from the NGO community that also took active
part in the working group on transnational corporations at the
Sub-Commission. The NGOS plan to bring in reports of human rights
impacts of TNC operations worldwide.

Amongst those members who spoke strongly in favour of the
resolution were Joseph Oloka-Onyango of Uganda (also the
principal sponsor of the resolution), Fran!oise Hampson of the
UK, Soli Sorabjee of India and Miguel Alfonso Martinez of Cuba.
FULL TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION IS ATTACHED AS A WORDPERFECT FILE, FOR A TEXT
COPY OR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Peter N. Prove, The Lutheran World Federation, [log in to unmask]
Miloon Kothari, Habitat International Coalition, [log in to unmask]
Malini Mehra, PDHRE [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]



   .............................................
   Bob Olsen, Toronto      [log in to unmask]
   .............................................


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