Wto Ministerial Conference
Rights groups urge govt to make stance clear
Rights groups on Tuesday urged the government to clarify its position on the 9th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference to be held in December 3-6 in Bali of Indonesia.
The WTO-proposed Trade in Services Agreement and Agreement on Trade Facilitation in fact will jeopardise the basic human rights of accessing essential public services like water, health and education and this is how it undermines post-2015 development agenda of poverty eradication and sustainable development, they said.
The call came from a news conference organised by 18 rights, civil society, labour and farmer bodies organised at the National Press Club.
Moderated by Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD, the press conference was addressed, among others, by Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Mohammed Ali of Bangladesh Trade Union Centre, Sayed Jahangir Hasan Masum of Coastal Development Partnership and Shamima Akhter of ASOW.
Barkat Ullah Maruf of EquityBD read out the written statement on behalf of the groups.
In his statement, Maruf said in fact the proposed TISA and TF would facilitate the big multinational companies of the developed countries and enhance net outflow of hard-earned currencies of the developing countries and LDCs.
Mohammed Ali mentioned that being forced by the modalities of aids and different multilateral agreements, the government is promoting corporatisation in the railway of Bangladesh which has been the largest and cheapest pubic communication network in the country.
WTO policies are to promote private sector and commercialisation not to strengthen the public services like railway, he added.
Badrul Alam said agriculture was related to the food rights of common
people and most fundamental one to live. So, agriculture must be separated from the WTO process, he said.
Other members of the groups are Jatiya Sramik Jote, Online Knowledge Society, United People Trust, Udayan Bangladesh, Unnayan Dhara Trust, Media Forum on Trade and Development, Shariatpur Development Organisation, Kishani Shova, Nature Campaign Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bhumihin Shomity, VOICE, Huminity Watch and SA Foundation.
-With New Age input
