Clinton Says WTO Trade Talks Not Easy
12/2/99
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Title: Clinton Says WTO Trade Talks Not Easy
Source: Environment News Service
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 2, 1999
SEATTLE, Washington, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - Violent protests have
marked the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Seattle conference, where
trade ministers from 135 countries are exploring future global policy
for eight trade sectors, including forest products.
Protestors assert that the WTO pushes trade practices that undermine
national laws protecting the environment and the rights of workers.
Many demonstrated against the conference by blocking streets,
breaking windows, and harassing trade delegates who attempted to
attend sessions Tuesday.
Their actions prompted Washington state Governor Gary Locke to
proclaim a state of emergency. Police responded, arresting about 100
demonstrators Wednesday morning.
President Clinton said he sympathizes with the concerns of the
environmental and labor demonstrators.
"I think we should strengthen the role and the interests of labor and
the environment in our trade negotiations," he told reporters
Tuesday. "This is not going to be easy to do," Clinton said, "partly
because some nations, particularly a lot of developing nations, see
our concern for the environment and labor standards as a way to sort-
of keep them down. But that is not true."
Clinton said, "I just want to make sure that ordinary people
everywhere are benefited by the trading system, and that the economy
is not damaged by trading rules that could put short-term economic
considerations over long-term environmental considerations."
But some environmentalists call the President's remarks just
rhetoric.
"Clinton says he agrees with protesters' environmental concerns,"
said former Indiana Congressman Jim Jontz, now executive director of
American Lands Alliance. "But the U.S. government is making timber
trade a top priority here at the WTO talks. He is not listening to
the people's concerns to protect forests. He is promoting logging in
the world's most sensitive forests, in Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Chile."
Environmentalists say that what they call a "global free logging
agreement," the first step of which is an agreement on Accelerated
Tariff Liberalization on forest products, will destroy forest
protections.
"Here in Seattle, Clinton should learn from the mistakes we have made
with our own forests in the Pacific Northwest," said Paige Fischer,
trade campaigner with Pacific Environment and Resources Center. "He
should back off from his plans to push forward timber trade
liberalization at the Seattle meeting of the WTO. Instead, Clinton
should commit to a full, open, and transparent process working
together with non-governmental organizations to address forest
conservation issues worldwide," she said.
Klaus Toepfer, head of the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), condemned the incidences of violence carried out by a small
minority, which have marred the largely peaceful environmental
protests.
"Only through constructive dialogue can we ensure that an integrated
approach to trade and environment policy-making is taken here in
Seattle," Toepfer said. "The need to ensure that both trade and
environmental policies are mutually supportive is more pressing today
than ever before."