wfn.org | Ecumenical Community Conveys Moral and Ethical Concerns to

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Ecumenical Community Conveys Moral and Ethical Concerns to Cancun Trade
Conference
Statement by Heads of Geneva-Based Church Bodies

GENEVA, 10 September 2003 (LWI) - Heads of church bodies based at the
Ecumenical Center here have reiterated the ecumenical community's commitment
to work with peoples and movements toward "a global trading system that is
just, sustainable and caring."

In a joint statement today addressed to the 5th Ministerial Conference of
the World Trade Organization (WTO) taking place September 10-14 in Cancun,
Mexico, the general secretaries of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), World
Council of Churches (WCC), World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and
Conference of European Churches (CEC) underlined an understanding of trade
and development that is rooted in spiritual, moral and ethical perspectives.

General Secretaries Ishmael Noko (LWF), Konrad Raiser (WCC), Setri Nyomi
(WARC),  and Keith Clements (CEC) said the ecumenical community would
continue to advocate for trade and financial policies that uphold human
rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights through ongoing joint
initiatives.

The full statement of the LWF, WCC, WARC and CEC follows:

Statement from ecumenical organizations addressed to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and Ministers of Trade gathered in Cancun, Mexico for the
5th Ministerial Conference of the WTO from 10-14 September 2003 

On the occasion of the opening of the th Ministerial Conference of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) in Cancun, Mexico on 10 September 2003, we *
concerned Christians and representatives of Churches, Christian World
Communions and faith-based organizations in Geneva * gather at the Ecumenical
Center in Geneva, Switzerland to make known our views on the current
discussions in the WTO. We believe that these discussions have very profound
implications for the livelihood, health, wellbeing and survival of peoples *
especially in the developing world. 

The ecumenical community approaches the Cancun Ministerial Meeting with an
understanding of "trade and development" rooted in spiritual, moral and
ethical perspectives. In evaluating WTO agreements so far, we ask the
following questions: Are they just and fair * especially to the vulnerable
and impoverished? For these, we believe, God has expressed a preferential
option. Do the agreements support right relationships between North and
South, between producers and consumers, and between the powerful and the
powerless? Are they friendly to God's creation? Do they enhance and not
diminish the planet's capacity to sustain and nurture present as well as
future generations of humankind and all other life forms? Do they affirm
human dignity and care for life in all its richness and diversity? 

The ecumenical community believes that international trade agreements should
first and foremost respect, value and uphold the sacred nature of all life.
In contrast, the economic agendas of some governments, especially Northern
governments, seem to be largely driven by corporate interests at the expense
of economic justice. Guided by this core vision, we make the following
recommendations on some of the critical issues that will be taken up in the
Cancun Ministerial Meeting: 

We call upon all governments of developed countries to recognize the rights
of the weak and in co-operation with developing countries to develop fair
conditions for trade with equal access for all. 

On the Agreement on Agriculture, we beieve that food sovereignty and
adequate nutrition for all, especially children, should be the primary aim.
We therefore call upon governments of developed countries, to: 
+ eliminate harmful subsidies and domestic support to agricultural
enterprises; 
+ differentiate between small farmers and major agri-businesses; 
+ halt export dumping of food; and 
+ remove barriers to the access of developing countries to Northern
agricultural markets. 

These create unfair competition, destroy livelihoods and undermine long-term
food sovereignty in developing countries. 

On the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), we believe that
essential public services such as water, health and education services are
important vehicles for the realization of basic human rights. Therefore these
services cannot be commodified nor negotiated. Water in particular has
spiritual value in all religions and cultures and is essential for the
sustenance of life. We therefore call upon governments to keep these public
services out of the GATS negotiations. 

On Implementation Issues, developing countries should be allowed much more
flexibility in implementing the Uruguay Round of agreements because of
longstanding asymmetries between developing and developed countries. We
therefore call upon all governments to: 
+ implement the agreements reached at Doha without forcing further
concessions from developing countries; and 
+ strengthen provisions and mechanisms in all WTO agreements providing for
special and differential treatment for developing countries such as longer
implementation periods and lower tariff reduction rates, among others. 

On Investment and "new issues," we believe that: 
+ governments have a primary responsibility in guaranteeing the protection
of the environment, safeguarding public health and promoting decent work; 
+ peoples' rights and freedoms clearly have precedence over corporate rights
and must be the primary rinciples to regulate the activities of transnational
corporations. 

We therefore call upon all governments to oppose the launching of a new
round of negotiations on Investment and other "Singapore issues." 

On the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, we
believe that: 
+ health is a central concern to human development that should not be
overridden by interests of pharmaceutical corporations in earning monopoly
profits; 
+ all efforts should be taken to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases by enabling poor people to have
access to affordable medicines; and 
+ living organisms (including seeds) are part of God's creation and
therefore should be neither patented nor commodified. 

The TRIPs agreement and the interpretation of some of its regulations by the
WTO has blocked the availability of generic drugs at affordable prices that
are needed to combat diseases in the developing world. The recently achieved
agreement in relation to such generic drugs does not resolve the problem in a
sufficiently comprehensive manner that really benefits developing countries
and the millions of people suffering from HIV/AIDS and other diseases. 

We therefore call for radical changes of the trade regime concerning
intellectual property rights and recognition of the right of developing
countries to produce and import generic drugs in quantities and at prices
that serve the needs of their people. 

Motivated by faith in a compassionate God, and based on the hope that
"another world is possible!" we issue this statement as part of our
commitment to work with peoples and movements toward a global trading system
that is just, sustainable and caring. The ecumenical community will continue
to advocate for trade and finance policies that uphold human rights *
especially economic, social and cultural rights * through the Trade for
People Campaign under the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance and the Debt
Cancellation Campaign, among other inititives. 

Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser 
General Secretary 
World Council of Churches

Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko
General Secretary 
The Lutheran World Federation 

Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi 
General Secretary 
World Alliance of Reformed Churches 

Rev. Dr Keith Clements 
General Secretary
Conference of European Churches 

Geneva, Wednesday, 10 September 2003

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member
churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million
Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas
of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology,
humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)
 
[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF' information service. Unless
specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or
opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of a article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with
acknowledgment.]

*     *      *

LWI online at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html 

LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
PO Box 2100, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: (41.22) 791.63.54
Fax: (41.22) 791.66.30 
Editor's e-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org