An important civil society initiative that is doing the rounds. Also
enclosed two documents on Information Technology Agreement (ITA) - 2 .....
This shows that there is more to globalisation and people's rights and
livelihoods than what normally appears to the starry eyed Internet-ists.
Integration may generally be good, however, integration on what and
whose terms is always the key question.... And that is the democratic
global governance question, that many in the IG space want to bypass in
preference to a kind of techno determinism, ..
Also gives a pointer to civil society's role. I dont say that trade
protectionism is necessarily good, in all situations and at all
times.... But quite often trade agreements have very strong impact on
people's livelihoods and other rights... Those global companies who
would like to promote unrestrained global trade have their interests
already well represented. The question is, who will represent the
interests of the ordinary people, those who cant be present in the
global policy spaces.... That role falls to civil society. And it is
easy to see that although not always, quite (very?) often these
interests may not be the same as that of the big business. This is the
reason for civil society to keep a respectful distance from big business
lobbyists, at least in its internal working.
parminder
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: {Forum Against FTAs} Request for your endorsement against FTA
- "Information Technology Agreement"
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 12:02:11 +0530
From: Mani Candan <manicandan at gmail.com>
To: forum-against-ftas at googlegroups.com, peoplesaarc at yahoogroups.com
Dear All
Please sign on to this important letter on proposed WTO agreement on
Information Technology Goods. For details see the message below. Thank you.
Regards
G.Manicandan
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Deborah James* <djames at cepr.net <mailto:djames at cepr.net>>
Date: Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 5:23 AM
Subject: Re: Request for your endorsement against FTA - "Information
Technology Agreement"
To: Deborah James <djames at cepr.net <mailto:djames at cepr.net>>
Dear Friends,
Please see this note below – requesting endorsements for an important
letter by our friends at ITUC (developed together with OWINFS) against
yet another proposed FTA in the WTO – this time on "Information
Technology Goods" aka "kiss your infant industry and jobs creation
programs goodbye!" Please send organizational endorsement with country
to Georgios Altintzis at georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org
<mailto:georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org> by September 23rd. We really
need to make a strong showing to governments on this one soon! It has
been endorsed by IndustriALL, International Trade Union Confederation
(ITUC), the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), UNI Global Union,
International Union of Food workers (IUF-UITA-IUL), and more (see
attached) but now we need YOU!
Thank you!
- Deborah, Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS)
------------------------------------------
Dear colleagues,
Estimados compañeros y compañeras, (español abajo)
Chers/chères camarades, (français ci-dessous)
With very little public knowledge, governments are negotiating to expand
the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) of the WTO, which commits
countries to assess zero tariffs on myriad manufactured products. We are
writing to express our deep concern because ITA-II will reduce policy
space for governments to protect infant industries and jobs, and is not
a solution to the global jobs crisis. In light of the stagnation of the
Doha Round in the WTO, developed countries are seeking to achieve their
agenda (getting new market access for their corporations) without having
to make concessions to developing countries that would make the global
trading system more fair.
*Join our sign-on letter*to governments that participate in the
expansion of the ITA-II, urging them to be cautious and prudent when
negotiating on issues that concern industrial development, policy space,
technology transfer, technical standards, market access and security.
The sign-on was developed with Our World Is Not For Sale Network
(OWINFS), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Global
Union ‘IndustriALL’ and the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND).
*Please send your organisational endorsement*, with country (or
countries) of your group, to Georgios Altintzis at
georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org
<mailto:georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org>. The deadline for signing on
the letter is September 23, so that it can be delivered before the next
round of negotiations. The attached letters are in English, Arabic,
Spanish, and French versions; we urge you to share this call with your
networks, especially as we are on a tight deadline.
All the best,
Saludos solidarios,
Meilleures salutations
Yorgos Altintzis, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
-------------------
Sin apenas informar a la opinión pública, los gobiernos están negociando
la ampliación del Acuerdo sobre Tecnología de la Información (ATI) de la
OMC, que comprometería a los países a aplicar derechos arancelarios
nulos a una gran cantidad de productos manufacturados. Nos expresamos
nuestra seria preocupación, en particular, porque ATI-II reducirá el
espacio político de que disponen los gobiernos para proteger sus
industrias nacientes y empleos, y no ofrece una solución a la crisis
mundial del empleo. Ante el estancamiento de la Ronda de Doha en la OMC,
los países desarrollados están buscando la manera de hacer avanzar sus
intereses (tener acceso a nuevos mercados para sus empresas), sin tener
que hacer concesiones a los países en desarrollo, concesiones que harían
que el sistema mundial del comercio fuera más justo.
*Añadan su firma a una carta *que dirigiremos a los gobiernos que
participan en la ampliación del ATI-II, instándolos a actuar con la
máxima prudencia al negociar sobre cuestiones relativas al desarrollo
industrial, espacio político, transferencia de tecnología, normas
técnicas, acceso a los mercados y seguridad.
Esta carta fue elaborada conjuntamente por la Red ‘Nuestro Mundo No Está
en Venta’, la Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), el Sindicato
Mundial ‘IndustriALL’ y la Red de ONG Árabes para el Desarrollo (ANND).
*Les rogamos confirmen el apoyo de su organización*, mencionando el país
(o países) de su grupo a Georgios Altintzis
(georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org
<mailto:georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org>). El plazo para enviar la
carta firmada es el 23 de septiembre, a fin de que pueda entregarse
antes de la próxima ronda de negociaciones. Les enviamos en anexo las
cartas en ingles, árabe, español y francés. Asimismo les rogamos que
difundan este llamado entre todas sus redes rápidamente, ya que el
tiempo apremia.
------------------
N’informant pas le publique, les gouvernements négocient l’élargissement
de l’Accord sur les technologies de l’information (ATI) de l’OMC, qui
engagerait les pays à ramener à zéro les droits de douane pour la
fabrication d’une multitude de produits. Nous vous faisons part de notre
vive inquiétude, notamment parce que l’Accord réduira l’espace politique
dont disposent les gouvernements pour protéger leurs industries
naissantes et les emplois et qu’il n’offre pas de solution à la crise de
l’emploi mondiale. Compte tenu de la stagnation du cycle de Doha à
l’OMC, les pays développés cherchent à réaliser leur programme (obtenir
un accès à des nouveaux marchés pour leurs entreprises) sans devoir
faire de concessions aux pays en développement, qui rendraient le
système mondial du commerce plus équitable.
Nous vous invitons *à signer la lettre* que nous adresserons aux
gouvernements participant à l’élargissement de l’ATI, les exhortant à
agir avec prudence et précaution dans le cadre de la négociation des
questions concernant le développement industriel, l’espace politique, le
transfert de technologie, les normes techniques, l’accès aux marchés et
la sécurité.
Cette lettre a été élaborée conjointement avec le réseau « Notre monde
n’est pas à vendre » (OWINFS), la Confédération syndicale internationale
(CSI), la fédération syndicale internationale IndustriALL et le Réseau
d’ONG arabes pour le développement (ANND).
Nous vous prions de bien vouloir confirmer le soutien de votre
organisation, en indiquant le pays (ou les pays) de votre groupe à
Georgios Altintzis(georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org
<mailto:georgios.altintzis at ituc-csi.org>). Le délai pour envoyer la
lettre signée est le 23 septembre, afin qu’elle puisse être remise avant
le prochain cycle de négociations. Nous vous annexons la lettre en
anglais, en arabe, en espagnol et en français. Nous vous exhortons
également à diffuser rapidement cet appel à vos réseaux, compte tenu du
très court délai.
Yorgos Altintzís
Economic & Social Policy
ITUC International Trade Union Confederation
ΔΣΣ Διεθνής Συνομοσπονδία Συνδικάτων
--
Deborah James
Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) network
Director of International Programs
Center for Economic and Policy Research
1611 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 400 Washington DC 20009
+1.202.293.5380 x111
djames at cepr.net <mailto:djames at cepr.net>
www.cepr.net <http://www.cepr.net>
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