wfn.org | WCC: Cancun concerns

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
News Flash 
For immediate release NF-03-19
10 September 2003

Ecumenical community conveys "spiritual, moral and ethical" concerns to
Cancun

Participants in a half-day public seminar in Geneva today sent a statement to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to ministers of trade attending the
10-14 September WTO conference in Cancun, Mexico. The seminar was jointly
organized by the World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World
Alliance of Reformed Churches and Conference of European Churches.

Highlighting the ecumenical community's concerns, it refers to the trade and
development issues to be tackled at the conference, including negotiations on
the  agreement on agriculture, as well as on the General Agreement on Trade
in Services (GATS), investment issues, and a Trade-Related Intellectual
Property Rights TRIPS) agreement.

"The ecumenical community approaches the Cancun Ministerial Meeting with an
understanding of 'trade and development' rooted in spiritual, moral and
ethical perspectives," the statement says;  it was issued "as part of our
commitment to work with people and movements towards a global trading system
that is just and sustainable".

The full text of statement from the public seminar to Cancun is available on
our website at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/cancun.html 

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