(early 1990s to present day)

1. (early 1990s to present day)

2. It’s not mainly about trade, but a rather system of (undemocratic) global governance • “Each Member shall ensure the conformity of its laws, regulations and administrative procedures with its obligations as provided in the annexed Agreements.” –Art. XVI-4, Agt. Establishing the WTO • Binding Dispute Resolution, No Due Process, No Outside Appeal, Trade Sanctions • "We are writing the constitution for a single global economy." -Renato Ruggerio, first Director General of WTO in Financial Times

3. Privatize, deregulate services (including financial services, water, health care, education) Cut, weaken, harmonize to global norm product regulatory standards Establish new property rights (intellectual property protections, foreign investor rights) Commodify ‘commons’ eg. natural resources (forests), human genes, biodiversity Deregulate foreign investment (no limits on foreign ownership, no conditions, pre-approvals) Finance liberalization (no currency controls, deregulate banking sector) WTO, NAFTA, FTAs as delivery mechanisms for package of “neoliberal” policies: Keep government and policy out of market…

4. Attacks Against Domestic Laws atthe WTO Almost Always Succeed

5. 1. Current Globalization Model Incompatible w/ Low Carbon Economy • Volume of global trade has more than doubled since creation of WTO (AoA – must set tariffs to import 5% of each commodity; trading, shipping firms) • Same time global inequality has worsened; poverty in the poorest regions has increased; progress on other human indicators (education and hunger) has stalled or declined. • Merchandise trade volume grew by twice the annual growth rate of output since 2000; In 2006, volume of world merchandise trade grew by 8% while world gross domestic product had a 3.5% increase. • UN: ocean shipping = 4 to 5% of all carbon emissions (bunker fuel)

6. 2. WTO occupies policy space needed to address climate chaos domestically and internationally… • Cap and trade system – GATS • Tech transfer – TRIPS, Subsidies and Countervailing measures agt (one time enviro cost exception expired) • Financing – GATS • Efficiency domestically – CAFE case • Ban on certain goods, energy-related processes

7. 3. Border adjustment/competitiveness issue – politics in U.S. • Competing views about basis for demand for border adjustment systems by Congress • Carbon leakage • Domestic jobs wages (’74 level in real median wages) • NO MATTER WHAT, POLITICAL REALITY

8. Special interest benefiting from status quo push for more of the same… • Doha Round WTO expansion: G-20 call for it • More financial service deregulation • New limits in energy policy space • Financial crisis statement: TOTALLY reinforces status quo as way to go. New role for IMF, etc. • WTO will not get out of way without being pushed out of the way and in fact will get worse…

9. Strategy, action opportunities!! • Synergies in campaigning – how to ‘use’ Copenhagen, next global fin crisis summit (Feb 09?) • Need to roll WTO, FTAs, EPAs out of domestic and international policy space to get implementation of policy, model changes needed • Conflict between response to global emergency and WTO continues to undermine WTO, diminish its legitimacy, create demand for alternative model