|
Pos-Fut. people:
Although the U.S. has decided to back away from the Multilateral Agreement
on Investment, ('... the United States does "not envision signing any
agreement this April"'), and this effectively kills any prospect of
reaching an accord at least through the first half of 1998 and possibly
indefinitely, transnational corporations will keep pushing for minimal
regulations on their freedom to make money as they choose, and the Paris
negotiations have continued.
The following introduction gives some "chapter & verse".
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Message-Id: <199802161625.LAA04639@tommy.chesapeake.net>
Reply-To: <hinrichs@chesapeake.net>
From: "doug and jennifer judd hinrichs" <hinrichs@chesapeake.net>
To: <davd@geocities.com> and scores of others
Subject: MAI Negotiations Continue
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 11:24:13 -0500
MAI Update Feb.16, 1998
I. MAI Online Seminar Statement
II. MAI Negotiations Continue Feb. 16-17, 1998 / Joint NGO Statement - FOE
___________________________________________________________________________
I. MAI Online Seminar Statement Drafted
A Public Information Campaign on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment
(MAI),
and a CSF statement from an October 1997 online seminar, (with an
international membership of over 500 participants)
can be found at:
http://www.islandnet.com/~ncfs/intermai/mai.html
___________________________________________________________________________
II. MAI Negotiations Continue - FOE
On February 16 and 17th, the OECD negotiations resume again in Paris where
they will decide the fate of the MAI.
Critics' demands to open the MAI to public debate and ensure that the
agreement protects the rights of citizens' have largely been ignored,
according to an international coalition of organizations staging
demonstrations against the treaty this week. In a statement addressed to
the OECD, endorsed by more than 500 environmental, development, labor,
consumer, church and women's organizations from 67 countries, the
coalition of groups called on the OECD to suspend the negotiations for the
MAI.
To mark the growing public opposition to the MAI, environmental, consumer,
women's development, and other organizations around the world have planned
events to protest negotiations with the intent of halting the conclusion
of such an unbalanced treaty.
___________________________________________________________________________
JOINT NGO STATEMENT ON THE MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON
INVESTMENT TO THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
ENDORSED BY 565 ORGANIZATIONS IN 68 COUNTRIES
INTRODUCTION
As a coalition of development, environment, human rights, labor, consumer
and women's groups from around the world, with representation in over 70
countries, we consider the draft Multilateral Agreement on Investment
(MAI) to be a damaging agreement which should not proceed in its current
form, if at all.
There is an obvious need for multilateral regulation of investments in
view of the scale of social and environmental disruption created by the
increasing mobility of capital. However, the intention of the MAI is not
to regulate investments but to regulate governments. As such, the MAI is
unacceptable.
MAI negotiations began in the OECD in the Spring of 1995, more than two
years ago, and are claimed to be substantially complete by the OECD. Such
negotiations have been conducted without the benefit of participation from
non-OECD countries and civil society, including non-governmental
organizations representing the interests of workers, consumers, farmers or
organizations concerned with the environment, development and human
rights.
As a result, the draft MAI is completely unbalanced. It elevates the
rights of investors far above those of governments, local communities,
citizens, workers and the environment. The MAI will severely undermine
even the meagre progress made towards sustainable development since the
Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
The MAI is not only flawed in the eyes of NGOs, but conflicts with
international commitments already made by OECD member countries:
The MAI fails to incorporate any of the several relevant international
agreements such as the Rio Declaration; Agenda 21; UN Guidelines for
Consumer Protection (1985); the UNCTAD Set of Multilaterally Agreed
Principles for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices (1981); the
Beijing Declaration on Women and the HABITAT Global Plan of Action.
The MAI fails to comply with OECD commitments to integrate economic,
environmental and social policies (1).
The MAI removes responsibilities on transnational enterprises which were
previously agreed by the OECD under the OECD Guidelines for Multilateral
Enterprises 1976 (2).
The exclusion of developing countries and countries in transition from the
negotiations is inconsistent with OECD policy on development partnerships
(3).
Problems with the MAI stem both from the broad restrictions it places on
national democratic action, and from its failure to include sufficient new
systems of international regulation and accountability.
As the MAI stands, it does not deserve to gain democratic approval in any
country. All the groups signing this statement will campaign against its
adoption unless changes, including those cited below, are incorporated
into the body of the MAI.
....
Notes:
(1) OECD Ministerial Communique May 1997
(2) OECD Code of Conduct for Multinational Enterprises, Paris 1992
(3) "Shaping the 21st Century: The Contribution of Development
Cooperation", OECD 1997.
For more information, and the complete Joint NGO Statement on MAI, please
contact:
Andrea Durbin
Friends of the Earth U.S.
1025 Vermont Avenue, NW 3rd Fl
Washington, DC 20005
tel: 202-783-7400, ext. 209
fax: 202-783-0444
email:
Andrea Durbin <adurbin@foe.org>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
David.
** http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/3142/
David MacClement <davd@geocities.com>
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/6783/
_________________________________________________________________________
This message is from the positive-futures discussion list.
Mail public replies to: <positive-futures@igc.org>
Mail private replies to the author of the message, listed in the "From"
field in the internet header.
To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to <majordomo@igc.org> with
the command unsubscribe positive-futures in the body of the message.
EcoNet is a private, non-profit online network which seeks to serve
the environmental community. Put your online spending to work
for the environment through EcoNet. For information, send a message
to <econet-info@econet.org>
_________________________________________________________________________