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Julio Garcia
Burgues of the European Commission, speaking on behalf of the
EU, underlined the Bangkok
Declaration's commitment to equity and participation, and called
for new initiatives on developing country access to the full benefits
of trade liberalization, and on offsetting the negative social
consequences of globalization.
He also said
a new comprehensive trade round could make the multilateral trading
system more transparent and responsive to sustainability.
He
underlined the importance of facilitating FDI flows to reach all
countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa. He said a multilateral
framework on investment at the WTO would help achieve the required
stable, predictable, non-discriminatory and transparent climate.
The EU supported: the ability of WTO members to pursue levels
of environmental protection they deem appropriate; greater legal
clarity regarding the relationship between trade measures pursuant
to MEAs and WTO agreements; and WTO accommodation of such agreements,
citing the Biosafety Protocol.
Listen
to the EC statement on trade
Listen
to the EC statement on investment
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Ngurah
Swajaya, Indonesia
Indonesia
said there were a number of unexplored possible benefits from investment
by TNCs, including, for example, the promotion of environmental
management systems and the transfer of ESTs.
He expressed concern that Sustainable Impact Assessments
may increase costs and deter investment and said that the imposition
of environmental regulation conflicts with the principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities.
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Mark
Hambley, the US
He said the US wanted to put a human
face on global trade and suggested that capacity building is the
best approach for this. He called for research to identify triple
win opportunities for trade, development and the environment, and
for more work on labor standards as a means to increase trade.
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United Nations University Seminar on Trade,
Development and the Environment after Seattle and Bangkok, the WTO
Millennium Round and UNCTAD X
This
UN University sponsored seminar, held on Tuesday, 22 February, 2000,
included the following four modules: Analysis of the Seattle Ministerial
and UNCTAD X; Environment and Labor Standards in the Context of
a New Round, International Trade and the Special Interests of Developing
Countries; and Globalization and the Obstacles to the Successful
Intergration of Small Vulnerable Economies.
For
more information on UNU, visit http://www.unu.edu
To order a copy of UNU's recent publication Trade, Environment,
and the Millennium edited by Gary P. Sampson and W. Bradnee
Chambers, email sales@hq.unu.edu
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Gareth L.
Howell, Deputy Director, UN Liason Office, ILO, and Jorge Vigano,
Deputy Director/Counselor, WTO,a nd Bradnee Chambers, UNU
Gareth L.
Howell addressed trade and labor standards, Jorge Vigano discussed
prospects for a new round in the wake of the Seattle failure, and
Bradnee Chambers discussed trade, environment and the Millennium
Round
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