From: Peoples’ Forum 2001
Citizens Conference on Trade and the Environment: Towards the APEC Osaka Meetings
The establishment of the WTO in January this year will further accelerate the global trend towards greater liberalization of trade and investment. Within the Asia-Pacific region, a commitment to economic liberalization is demonstrated by the Bogor Declaration which was adopted at the APEC summit meeting in Indonesia last November. The Declaration reads “trade and investment will be liberalized within the region by 2010 for the developed countries and by 2020 for the developing countries.” To follow up on this initiative, an “Action Agenda” for trade and investment liberalization is planned for submission by APEC officials in this November’s APEC meeting in Osaka.
With regards to environmental issues within APEC, recommendations referring to the results of the Earth Summit were made by APEC environment ministers in Canada in 1994. They were followed by the action plan produced at the environment expert meeting in Hualien, Chinese Taipei in the same year. However, these recommendations are not adequately addressed to at the ministerial meetings and the Senior Officials Meetings (SOM), both of which are the main decision-making mechanisms in the APEC structure.
We believe rules on trade and investment significantly and both directly and indirectly affect people’s lives and the environment, therefore, we are seriously concerned about how information is currently disseminated in the decision- making process on trade and investment rules. First, such information and perspectives are severely inadequate; second, there are no avenues or procedures for citizen participation in the decision- making process in international economic fora such as the WTO and APEC.
Three Purposes of the Conference:
Thus, we are hosting the “Citizen’s Conference on Trade and the Environment, Tokyo.” We hope this will provide a forum for people:
(1) to examine the effects of trade and investment liberalization on people’s lives and the environment,
(2) to discuss alternative economic systems for the realization of sustainable societies that allow fair trade, investment and equitable redistribution of wealth and,
(3) for this end, to strengthen people and NGO networks in the Asia-Pacific region for the formulation of mid- and long-term strategies and actions by individuals and NGO groups.
We encourage all of you to participate in the conference to share your views and ideas in order to develop a proposal from the perspective of peoples and NGOs on trade and the environment.
Citizen’s Conference on Trade and the Environment, Tokyo:
Theme: A Fair Trade & Investment and A Sustainable Economic System
Date: November 11th and 12th, 1995
Place: Komaba Campus, Tokyo University (Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo)
Sponsor: Organizing Committee of “Citizen’s Conference on Trade and the Environment, Tokyo”
Secretariat: Peoples’ Forum 2001, Japan
Maruko Bld.5F, Higashiueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110 Japan
Tel: 03-3834-2436 Fax: 03-3834-2406
Email: pf2001jp@igc.apc.org
Citizen’s Conference on Trade and the Environment, Tokyo Towards the APEC Osaka Meeting
PROGRAM(DRAFT)
As of September 6
First Day (November 11, Saturday)
10:00`19:00
Opening Remark
10:00`10:10
Panel on TES Alternatives:
10:10`13:00
Forum on Trade of Natural Resources
14:00`16:45
Forum on Alternative Policy on Energy
14:00`16:45
Forum on Investment and Transnational Corporations
14:00`16:45
Forum on Sustainable Agriculture
14:00`16:45
Drafting Committee
17:00`19:00
Second Day (November 12, Sunday)
10:00`12:00
Keynote Speech:
10:00`11:00
Adoption of a Citizen Proposal on Trade and the Environment in the APEC region
11:00`11:45
Closing Remark
11:50`12:00
Organizing Committee:
Campaign to Halt the Export of Nuclear Power Plants
Committee on Partnerships with Business Community, PF2001
Energy Working Group, PF2001
Global Village
Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society(JACSES)
Japan Tropical Forest Action Network(JATAN)
Peoples’ Forum 2001, Japan(PF2001)
Working Group on Finance and the Environment, PF2001
PS People who wish to participate also in a NGO Closed Meeting in Kyoto on 13th and 14th of November, please let us know when you notify your intention to attend the above mentioned conference to us.