Civil society protest at 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, Nairobi, 17 December 2015
Today, a group of civil society working together through the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network, present in Nairobi for the 10th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), used the human amplification tactic of “Mike Check” to voice their concerns about the WTO negotiations.
Civil society leaders demanded that no so-called “new issues” should be put on the agenda, particularly while the development mandate has not been concluded. They called for a binding LDC package and that the WTO Ministerial Declaration affirming the development mandate. Their chants also called for removing WTO obstacles to food security throught the conclusion of the permanent solution for public stockholding, as well as special safeguard mechanism, and disciplines on export competition.
Over 90 civil society experts – trade unionists, farmers, development advocates, and consumer activists – from at least 25 countries have traveled to Nairobi for the 10th Ministerial meeting of the WTO. Working through the global OWINFS network and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Civil society delegates will be participating in OWINFS/ITUC activities from: Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, France, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, the UK, and the U.S.
OWINFS is a global network of NGOs and social movements working for a sustainable, socially just, and democratic multilateral trading system. www.ourworldisnotforsale.net.