HSA statement on the negotiation meeting in Puebla
06/02/2004
- Opinión
CONTINENTAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE FTAA STATEMENT ON THE
NEGOTIATIONS IN PUEBLA
"A WOLF IN SHEEP`S CLOTHING IS STILL A WOLF"
The FTAA negotiations in Puebla began with an apparent
alignment of the different negotiating positions with the
United States (speaking through the so- called Group of 5 -
- United States, Canada, México, Costa Rica and Chile)
ceding to a model that everyone can sign onto to, with the
obvious exception of Cuba. This first Tier of negotiations
is becoming known as an FTAA Extra Light. The U.S. will
maintain its ambitious vision of a comprehensive FTAA, a
NAFTA plus model, in the second Tier of FTAA negotiations,
which will be optional.
But has there really been a profound change? No, the only
difference is in the format. The US maintains its original
agenda, only know they have accepted that they won't be able
to reach their goals in one shot as originally planned.
They hope to leave Puebla with an agreement in principle on
the first Tier of the FTAA. After that, it won't be long
before countries are pressured into entering more
comprehensive negotiations in the so-called Tier 2 of the
FTAA. Of course they will try to isolate the governments
that refuse to negotiate at this comprehensive level, and
they will bring to bear economic and political pressure on
these countries until they agree to participate in Tier 2.
The peoples of the Americas won't fall for these schemes. We
continue to say NO to the FTAA, no matter whether it is
Light, Extra Light or Comprehensive. We call on our
government to not commit us to the FTAA even if it is FTAA
Extra Light for the following reasons
1) They are promoting FTAA Extra Light so that the FTAA
train leaves with all the boxcars (countries and themes)
firmly connected to the imperial caboose, then later they
will fill up the empty boxes with the full content of each
theme. Once governments have signed on to the FTAA, they can
deepen the negotiations once public attention wanes. In
many countries these deeper negotiations won't even require
any parliamentary approval to be ratified. This is even
more dangerous and anti-democratic, and the people will
simply not accept it.
2) In each of the options being debated here in Puebla,
the basic neo- liberal model that has generated poverty,
inequality and the lack of an authentic, just, and
sustainable development in our countries remains intact.
3) The separation of the FTAA into two tiers and the
eventual withdrawal of MERCOSUR, Venezuela and Bolivia from
the Second Tier will leave the smaller economy countries in
a weaker negotiating position, and will leave the United
States and Canada without any serious opposition.
4) This trap will have gigantic consequences. Some
governments are ready to refuse entry into Tier Two, in
order to exclude the US and Canada from deep concessions
that they would give to countries with similar development
levels in bilateral agreements. Nevertheless, the US
probably has the intention to use the WTO to demand Most
Favoured Nation Treatment from these countries once the FTAA
is signed and ratified.
5) Moreover we affirm that even the Extra Light proposal
has unacceptable aspects.
a) The proposal does not resolve the unequal trade that
subsidies create, internal supports and the other measures
equivalent to subsidies especially related to agriculture.
(This could be a point that polarizes the contradictions and
returns the negotiations to an impasse).
b) The proposal calls for market opening to be universal.
They continue to reject the possibility of excluding
agricultural products, thus abandoning the possibility of
food sovereignty and food security. Farmers and campesinos
continue to be sacrificed.
c) The G5 proposal includes in the first tier rules that
would limit the capacity of nation-states to direct
national development projects and to make their own public
policies (e.g., the rules on competition policy).
d) The proposal continues to make the opening of US
markets to goods conditional on commitments in the other
negotiating areas.
e) The proposal continues to include services, and thus
the risk that our human rights will be subject to the rules
of market and that only those who can pay will have access
to services.
We call on our governments to reject the FTAA no matter the
shape and form and not to betray the people of the Americas.
We will continue to fight to stop the FTAA.
https://www.alainet.org/en/articulo/109380?language=en
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- HSA statement on the negotiation meeting in Puebla 06/02/2004
- Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) FTAA Meeting Report (1) 02/02/2004
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