The Seattle to Brussels Network

On September 14th 2003, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Cancún collapsed. Against the background of strong public opposition, a number of new and unit ed developing country groupings resisted the pressure exerted by the EU and the US. Agreement could not be reached on EU led proposals to expand the WTO and bring in new negotiations to liberalise investment, competition, government procurement and trade facili tation (known as the » new issues «). Expansion of the WTO has been fiercely opposed by many devel oping countries as well as civil society groups. As in Seattle, thousands of demonstrators from all over the world — campesinos, fisherfolk, students, environmen talists and workers — were present in Cancún united in their opposition to the WTO’s corporate-driven agenda and determined to forge new, equitable and sustain able economies. Following Cancún, global trade negotiations remained stalled for several months. However, in July 2004, at a critical meeting of the WTO General Coun cil, the deadlock was broken and, behind closed doors, governments reached a » framework agreement « that enabled the Doha Round to progress. Consequentially, negotiations on a very broad range of topics — including trade in agriculture, industrial products, essential serv ices and natural resources — will now resume and pose serious threats both to people and the environment.