The Issues
The charges against all three of the international organizations revolves around globalization. The WTO increases globalization by encouraging encouraging a globalized economy with no trade barriers. The IMF requires structural adjustment programs that make countries follow certain rules in order to recieve IMF loans. The World Bank encourages foriegn corrporations to invest in developing nations as to stimulate economic growth and protects the interests of these corrorations. The problems with these programs that encourage globalization can be put into three catagories:
1. Globalization infringes upon democracy: The decisions that these organizations make are applied equally to all countries regardless of local and national rules and regulations. Citizens lose there control over the decisions that are being made about their economy, environment, health, humanitarian issues, and labor rights. What is good for one country in these areas is not necessarily good for all the other countries. Where this is especially felt is concerning the differences between developing and developed nations. The environmental and labor laws in the United States would not allow for the economic development in Uganda. By keeping stricter regulations the United States puts it's economy at a disadvantage as cheaper products and labor come from other countries that lack such strict regulations.
2. Environmental, Health, Human Rights, and Labor Standards are threatened by Globalization: These Organizations are heavily influenced by major international coorporations that want to see environmental and other standards lowered. When the World Bank helps a coorporation develop in a third world nation and protects this coorporation from major financial loss the door is left open to misusing resources and unnecessary environmental damage. Plus these coorporations are going to push for weaker regulations while there is no strong opposing voice in the international organizations to resist coorporate pressure.
3. Accountability: Some of the most important decisions made in the international organizations are behind closed door and are not open to appeal from outside groups. Disputes between WTO members are settled by trade lawyers in Geneva in this very unaccountable method.
