Civil Society Corrects Mainstream Media Narrative on Who is Really to Blame at MC12

June 16, 2022

Geneva, Switzerland--Today, a group of civil society working together through the global Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) network, dramatized the correction of the false media narrative of blaming developing countries for what is happening in the WTO negotiations.

The vast majority of members of the WTO, who are developing countries, have made consistent and repeated contributions to the negotiations, to resolve the challenges to their development from harmful WTO rules. The EU, US, UK, and Switzerland have consistently blocked the proposals. Instead, these countries have demanded expansion of the WTO’s harmful policies on WTO reform, the false “WTO Response to the Pandemic;” Fisheries subsidies disciplines that hurt developing countries, and leaving in place onerous WTO rules on Agriculture.

A facebook live video here: https://www.facebook.com/owinfs. Free-use photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vAIVUQzHxymQml4NDnk2bu7-17LWVTgW

Over 50 civil society experts – trade unionists, farmers, development advocates, and consumer activists – from 24 countries have traveled to Geneva for the 12th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of the global Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) network. Civil society delegates are at the WTO from: India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Pacific Islands, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Morocco, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, USA, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK.

Videos of previous protests, and quotes from civil society, documents of analysis by CSOs are available here: https://ourworldisnotforsale.net/MC12.

On the TRIPS waiver on intellectual property rules to save lives during the Covid pandemic, civil society leaders urged countries to reject the counter-proposal Director General text with its onerous new TRIPS+ provisions which would actually add new obligations to TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) on developing countries rather than save lives.

They demanded a permanent solution to public stockholding, so developing countries can achieve food security through increased production. They urged delegates to reject the anti-development fisheries text, and to start again with a pro-development proposals. And they condemned the Green Room tactics and false promise of “WTO Reform” which is actually a developed country agenda to abandon multilateralism, consensus, and development architecture of the WTO.

Our World Is Not for Sale “Mike Check” Chants, MC12, June 16, 2022