Major mobilization of advocates for worker justice, women, and the environment confronted the World Trade Organization as it held its ministerial meeting in Seattle. For what happened there, its aftermath, and its visit the following web site: www.indymedia.org.

The Issue

The WTO is the international organization charged with enforcing a set of trade rules including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), Trade Related Intellectual Property Measures (TRIPS), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), among others. WTO was established in 1995 in the "Uruguay Round" of GATT negotiations.

Prior to the Uruguay Round, GATT rules focused primarily on tariffs and quotas. Consensus of GATT members was required to enforce the rules. The Uruguay Round expanded GATT rules to cover what is known in trade jargon as "non-tariff barriers to trade." These are food safety laws, product standards, rules on use of tax dollars, investment policy and other domestic laws that impact trade. The WTO's rules limit what non-tariff policies countries can implement or maintain. Currently there are 134 member countries in the WTO and 33 nations with observer status. Officially, decisions in the WTO are made by voting or consensus. However, developed countries, especially the so-called QUAD countries (U.S., Canada, Japan and the European Union), repeatedly have made key decisions in closed meetings, excluding other WTO nations.

The WTO's lack of democratic process or accountable decision-making is epitomized by the WTO Dispute Settlement Process. The WTO allows countries to challenge each others' laws and regulations as violations of WTO rules. Cases are decided by a panel of three trade bureaucrats. There are no conflict of interest rules and the panelists often have little appreciation of domestic law or of government responsibility to protect workers, the environment or human rights. Thus, it is not surprising that every single environmental or public health law challenged at WTO has been ruled illegal.

WTO tribunals operate in secret. Documents, hearings and briefs are confidential. Only national governments are allowed to participate, even if a state law is being challenged. There are no outside appeals. Once a final WTO ruling is issued, losing countries have a set time to implement one of only three choices: change their law to conform to the WTO requirements, pay permanent compensation to the winning country, or face non-negotiated trade sanctions. The U.S. official position is that ultimately, laws must be changed to be consistent with WTO policy.

Ronnie Hall, trade campaigner at Friends of the Earth International, has said of the WTO that it "seems to be on a crusade to increase private profit at the expense of all other considerations, including the well-being and quality of life of the mass of the world's people . . . It seems to have a relentless drive to extend its power."

For specific ways in which the WTO is undermining economic justice, world health, and the environment, also see

• "The Hidden Tentacles of the World," an article published in the SUNDAY INDEPENDENT (London) July 17, 1999.
• "A militant labor perspective on the WTO"
• "10 Reasons to Dismantle the WTO", by Russell Mokhiber, editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime Reporter, and Robert Weissman, editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Multinational Monitor
• "Why the WTO May Be Irrelevant," by George Monbiot, an article in The Guardian December 16, 1999

Campaigns

Local: Local grassroots groups concerned with global economic justice and environmental protection include: Alliance for Democracy. Contact Charles Mauch, 4848 Pin Oak Park, #1501, Houston, TX 77081; 713.218.0344, chasmauch@aol.com. The Green Party. Contact David Cobb, 713.880.3219 (work phone); 713.880.9949 (fax); 281.496.3140 (home phone); cobbweb@onramp.net. The AFL-CIO focuses on protecting working people. Contact Richard Shaw, secretary, Harris County AFL-CIO, 2506 Sutherland, Houston 77023; 713.923.9473 (phone); 713.923.5010 (fax); shawtrek@aol.com.

National: Because of the WTO's scope and power, many groups are trying to curb it. Start with Friends of the Earth International's Trade, Environment and Sustainability Programme: www.foe.co.uk; and Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch: www.citizen.org/pctrade/tradehome.html.