Posted by WTO Watch Qld on August 12, 2001 at 16:58:35:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
By joining the WTO, member governments undertake to make laws that comply
with WTO Agreements and to change laws that do not. Compliance with WTO
Agreements does not in any way reduce the right of a government to make
laws for its own territories. (page 14 (folio 11)) http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/parliamentarians_e.pdffound
"WTO POLICY ISSUES FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS -- A GUIDE TO
CURRENT TRADE ISSUES FOR LEGISLATORS
1) COMING EVENTS
2) CALLS TO ACTION
a) Sign on letter 'Our World is not for Sale.'
b) Petitions re food irradiation
c) Submissions re Food Irradiation and GE Cotton
d) Letter to Shell re Oil Spill in Nigeria
3) GATS UPDATE
a) Scottish Parliament holds Debate on GATS
b) Canadian Municipalities pass GATS/WTO Resolutions
c) URLs for Australia's GATS Commitments
4) FOCUS ON WATER
a) Privatised NZ Water Services under Attack
b) Hundreds without Water in South Africa as Disconnections begin
c) Canada debates the Sale of its Water.
d) Ghana: Minister announces Privitisation of Water
e) Australian Aid used to Privatise Water Supplies in Bangalore (India)
=============================================
1) COMING EVENTS
CHOGM Action Network
Wednesday 22nd August at 6pm
74 Astor Tce, Spring Hill
Next CHOGM Spokescouncil has been organised for 16 August. 7pm at Gallang
Place, 31 Thomas St, West End.
Premier Beattie's People's Forum can be accessed through the link on the Queensland
Government's official CHOGM website - http://www.chogm2001.qld.gov.au
-----------------------------------------------------
Unions Will March at CHOGM
The QCU and the Queensland union movement will engage in a peaceful rally
and march at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in
October.
At an Executive meeting today it was decided that the Queensland union
movement would hold a peaceful march and rally in support of raising the
labour standards of workers and their families across the Commonwealth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're coming to the Lismore Herb Festival on Sat 18th or Sun 19th August and would like to help out at the Food Irradiation Information stall I'm getting a roster together: danay3@bigpond.com
Dr Helen Caldicott will speak against food irradiation and the associated nuclear industry at the SCU Herb-talk tent (the only conference tent) at the Lismore Herb Festival, Heritage Park, Lismore on the following:
Sat 18th 3.30pm
Sun 19th 12mid
On Sat 18th 7.30pm at the Star Court Theatre Lismore, Drs Liz Elliott and Helen Caldicott will be speaking on global and environmental issues. Liz will give a talk on "How the WTO is destroying your health" and Helen will give a talk on "Food irradiation and the nuclear industry." Please come and help make these issues Federal election issues. There will possibly be a film or video. Further details in next week's Community Cauldron update.
Are you on the email network? http://communitycauldron.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Questioning for social change and community participation
With Fran Peavey, author of 'Heart Politics Revisited'
Lecture: Monday 13th August 6.30pm
Full day workshop: Tuesday 14th August, 9.30am to 5.30pm
Griffith University EcoCentre, Nathan
For more information contact James Whelan ph (07) 3875 7457
James.Whelan@maillbox.gu.eu.au
----------------------------------------------------------
*Workshop: The Earth Charter - A Guide To Living
So That All Life Might Simply Live
21 August 2001
When: Tuesday, 21 August, 7-8.30pm
Where: Centre for Justice & Spirituality, 5 Abingdon Street,
Woolloongabba.
Presenters: Qld Earth Charter Committee
Entry by donation. For info. Tel 07 3391 2744
-=================================================
2) CALLS TO ACTION
a)
Available now---the international sign-on letter "Our World is Not for Sale. WTO: Shrink or Sink" which we hope your organization can sign on to. Some of you will recognize the statement from the original "WTO: Shrink or Sink" document that came out after Seattle. The statement was recently updated in preparation for the upcoming 4th Ministerial of the World Trade Organization in Doha, Qatar (November 9-13) and was launched at a press conference in Geneva in July. There will also be local events to launch the statement in capitals and cities around the world in the months to come (stay tuned for more information).
You can sign the statement by visiting the web-site of our good friends at the Council of Canadians (www.canadians.org). In addition to regularly posting an updated list of signatories, you will also shortly find the statement translated into Spanish, Portugese, French, Italian, German, Bulgarian, Russian and Esperanto.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
b) Petitions provided the spark which eventually led to a public inquiry and a ten-year ban on food irradiation, the last time the nuclear industry tried to force irradiated food onto Australian tables. Let's do it again!
Two petitions to target the House of Representatives and the Senate re food irradiation are available from bettinaq@hotmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
c) Public comment invited on food irradiation and genetically modified insect protected cotton
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) today called for a second round of public consultation on an application from an Australian company, Steritech Pty Ltd, to irradiate herbs, spices, herbal infusions, peanuts, almond, cashews and pistachio nuts. ANZFA also sought comment on an application to approve an insect protected cotton as a genetically modified food. Closing date 15th August.
www.anzfa.gov.au
link (copy/paste) below on home page
select the 3rd link at the bottom: Application A413: Irradiation of herbs and spices, nuts, seeds and teas.
Updates on:
http://communitycauldron.com
link: food irradiation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
d) On June 25, 2001, an oil spill and explosion occurred in the aged and
rusty pipeline in Ogbodo, Nigeria.
It destroyed the only source of drinking water for 150,000 people. The
spill has also destroyed community fishing equipment and farmlands, and
resulted in fumes and pollutants that have sickened people and forced many
to evacuate their homes. Shell's highly ineffective cleanup efforts and
meagre offers of assistance are doing little to help the plight of the
victims, the Ikwere ethnic nationality of the River State of the Niger Delta.
Please write to Shell, and tell them it's time to spend the money needed
to clean up the disaster, provide sufficient safe drinking water, and
compensate the Ogbodo for their lost property and livelihoods.
>Environmental Rights Action-ERA/Friends of the Earth Nigeria
===========================================================
3) GATS UPDATE
a) In a million small ways in Britain, that process of campaigning against GATS has already begun.
As a result of campaigning by the World Development Movement, the
Scottish parliament will be holding the first parliamen-tary debate over
WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services, which threatens to lock
anything deemed a "service" into privatisation. Unions are beginning to
organise against Gats; the rank and file are already beginning to rebel
over public sector sell-offs.
steven kelk skelk@dcs.warwick.ac.uk
Home: 01926 773808 * Office: 024 76 522350
"The only struggle you lose is the one you
abandon" -+-+-+- Say NO! to the WTO! -+-+-
------------------------------------------------------------------
b) 84 CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES HAVE PASSED WTO-GATS RESOLUTIONS
2001 AND MORE ARE PENDING Updated: July 19, 2001
Text of resolution on CFWTO website at:
http://wtoaction.org/discuss/article.php3?story_id=20010528143723
Anna Dashtgard, Organizer
for the Common
Front on the WTO (CFWTO)
Email: cfwto@sympatico.ca
Website:
http://www.wtoaction.org/cfwto
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
c) For list of original GATS commitments made by the Australian Government in 1994, see
http://gats-info.eu.int/gats-info/nwtosvc.pl?COUNTRY=Australia
Alternatively, if you can't get the above site to work, go to
www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/services/index.html and scroll down to where it says
'the EU 'Info Point' on world trade in services has a detailed list of all members commitments by country and by sector.' Click on 'by country.'
To understand the listings, you need to read 'GATS Specific commitments-How to Read a Schedule' which is on the same DFAT page.
======================================================
4) FOCUS ON WATER
Government, whether local or central, talk about enormous pressures put
upon them to commercialize, rationalize and restructure. In other words -
to privatize water services The GATS can only exacerbate these pressures.However, people around the world are fighting back ED..
a)
PRIVATISED PAPAKURA WATER SERVICES UNDER ATTACK!
( NZ water services are now regarded as commercial activites and come
under the Commerce Act. ED)
UNITED WATER is coming under pressure - four years after an unpopular
privatisation deal gave two of the world's largest water companies a
foothold into New Zealand, via a small township of 14,000 residences.
Recently, almost 400 Papakura households have written to the Prime Minister
pledging to refuse paying their water and wastewater bills. This has the
Vivendi/RWE-Thames Water consortium worried, and most politicians in
central and local government wringing their feeble hands even faster.
The Papakura Water Pressure Group was established earlier this year, and it
is this community initiative that provides the scope for citizens to
combine their weight against the privatisation of their water services (the
United Water 30 year franchise agreement), and against politicians who put
the interests of multinational corporations ahead of the people who elected
them. ( see their website at: http://www.papakurawaterpressuregroup.pl.net )
UNITED WATER TRYING TO INTIMIDATE AND SINGLE OUT ONE HOUSEHOLD THIS WEDNESDAY
In a desperate effort to suppress this growing campaign, United Water has
threatened to cancel the contract of a member of the Papakura Water
Pressure Group - Peter Mathyssen - who is refusing to pay, and to
permanently disconnect his household from the town supply.
In Auckland City, the resolute work by our turn-on squads in restoring the
supply of water to hundreds of citizens, has seen Metrowater Ltd back off
and not cut off anyone since their futile blitz in January 2000.
Restrictions still occur on a daily basis, but are easily reversed and
usually done within a couple of hours of Metrowater's visit.
Our determination remains - we will not tolerate disconnections of water
supplies to anyone!
We will not stop until Metrowater is abolished and water services are
un-commodified throughout New Zealand.
Jim Gladwin
for
The Water Pressure Group (Auckland)
http://www.water-pressure-group.org.nz/
PO Box 19764
Auckland 1007
New Zealand
Ph: 64 9 828 4517
Fax: 64 9 828 4593
===========================================
News Update from the Tafelsig Anti-Eviction Campaign (South Africa) The Cape Town Unicity has disconnected the water of over 500 families in The disconnections started on Monday and have picked up speed during the 50 homes have been disconnected from electricity as well as water. "Although the six week moratorium on evictions is not yet up, it is clear The community is also angered by the violent and intimidatory tactics of The Anti-Eviction Campaign is demanding: For comment, please contact Ishmael Petersen on 021 3976386 ===================================================== c) August 2001 Column, Country Life In BC What Canada does over the next 6 months or so in the water/trade debate At the end of the day, we will either have retained sovereign control over Or we will have lost control over Canada's water resources, scrabbling into Water is the dividing point; the most critical policy arena of the century. Following his appointment as Canada's trade negotiator, Reisman said "In my Reisman's US counterpart at the trade table was Clayton Yeutter, a man with The US House Speaker at the time was Jim Wright, a Texas Democrat and one Several years later, the NAFTA was signed. Water in Canada's free flowing rivers and lakes is not subject to the trade Water is "in" the FTA and NAFTA because it's not "out" (not explicitly The ONLY solution to the water/trade dilemma is for Chretien to stand up to IF CANADIANS CANNOT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, WITH ALL THE HISTORY BEHIND IT, WE ================================================= d) GHANA: Minister Announces Privatization, Criticizes NGOs The government has initiated policies and programmes for private sector BANGALORE: Bangalore will soon be the first city in India where ========================================================= Terrie Templeton WTO Watch Qld gumbus@powerup.com.au
b) From: "Anna Weekes"
Subject: Tafelsig Anti-Eviction Update: Hundreds without water, electricity
as new wave of disconnections begins (South Africa)
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 16:40:36 +0200
Thursday August 2nd 2001
Tafelsig, Beacon Valley and Eastridge, removing the whole water meter and in
some cases leaving entire streets without any water. Removing the entire
meter makes reconnection virtually impossible.
week. Two highly paid private companies are performing the disconnections -
EMS, accompanied by Grays Security Services.
that the Unicity wants to re-start their campaign of terror against the
poor of Tafelsig early," said Tafelsig Anti-Eviction Campaign Co-ordinator
Ishmael Petersen. The disconnection of entire streets is proving to be a
particular problem as people cannot even get the bare minimum of drinking
water from their neighbours. "They are killing our people systematically,
and the council is getting more cruel and cowardly by the day."
Grays Security.
* That all disconnections must end
* If council does not stop their madness, the Tafelsig Anti-Eviction
Campaign will take it as sign that they intend to launch a full onslaught
against us, and will organise the community to completely resist all
disconnections.
Wendy R. Holm, P.Ag.
will forever define us as a people and as a nation.
our water resources and from that experience gained a sense of empowerment
and validation which fuels Canadian leadership in community and global
sustainability.
the darkness with a whimper not a bang because we feel powerless to do
anything else.
We owe it to our children's children to quickly get up to speed on the
issue and be as proactive as we can in the upcoming debate. We must all
become involved or Canada's water is, I fear, completely lost.
judgment, water will be the most critical area of Canada-US relations over
the next hundred years. How quickly this issue develops and how much
attention is paid depends on how critical the American water shortage is."
an extensive background in international agriculture, a Ph.D. in
international water law and an long-standing interest in Canada's water.
Yeutter was closely associated with Nixon during the US Army Corps of
Engineers' covert mapping of Canada's northern water resources.
of the most influential politicians in the US. In his 1966 book The Coming
Water Famine, Wright noted "There is to the north of us a stupendous supply
of water... enough to satisfy our predictable wants for years to come. We
need the water. We need to develop a means of getting that water."
agreements. But once water becomes a good of commerce and enters into
international trade, all of the terms of the trade agreement apply,
including national treatment.
exempted.) and because "water" - all natural water other than sea water, including ice
and snow - appears as Item 22.01.9 of the Harmonized Commodity Coding
System of the GATT, to which FTA and NAFTA refer for their definition of
"goods". The rights are there and the tap is open. In perpetuity. Period.
the Americans and demand an exemption for water under the goods, services
and investment provisions of the NAFTA. And threaten to walk from the deal
if we don't get it. Trust me, the Americans will grant the exemption
before they walk from the NAFTA. But only if we make it their only option.
DO NOT LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY. It is the 11th hour, and hardball is the only
game. Send me your ideas. Become involved. For Canada's sake.
holm@pinc.com. 604.947.2893.
participation in the urban water sector by March 2002. This was announced by
Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Works and Housing, speaking at the Mole XII
conference on the Community Water and Sanitation Programme (CWSP) organized
by the NGO, ProNet, from 3-7 Jun 2001. The CWSP aims to extend coverage of
water and sanitation facilities to about 85% of the rural population by
2009. The Minister criticized some NGOs for their failure to comply with
national policies on sustainability of water systems. He also announced that
his Ministry "intends to push for the amendment of the building regulation
to make it compulsory for all estate developers to include structures for
rainfall water harvesting".
Contact: ProNet, fax: +233-21-223218, mailto:pronet@ncs.com.gh
(Accra Mail, 5 Jun 2001, http://allafrica.com/stories/200106040420.html ;
Public Agenda (Accra), 11 Jun 2001,
http://allafrica.com/stories/200106120009.html)
=====================================================
e) Water supply to go private in Bangalore, India
By Bhavanashi Ramakrishna
drinking water supply is managed by private companies. The Bangalore
Water Supply and Sewerage Board is roping in two French companies -
Vivendi Water and Northumbrian Water Group (NLI) - to manage supply
in two pilot areas comprising one million population each. "We will
identify the two areas and sign a five-year agreement with the
two French firms within a week," M N Thippeswamy, Chief Engineer
(Corporate Planning), BWSSB told www.timesofindia.com on Tuesday.
"The financial aspects have not yet been finalised, but it'll be
complete in a week," he said. An MoU was signed between the
government of Karnataka and the two French companies on September
29, 2000. "We expect actual work under the new management to start
within three to four months," Thippeswamy said. According to the CE,
the Board personnel handling the water supply system, billing and
collection of water charges in the two contracted areas will
be functioning under the management of the French companies.
Depending upon the success of the exercise, the BWSSB would give a
30-year contract for the entire city. "The Board will review the
success of the short-term (five-year contract) measure periodically
and explore the possibility of privatising the entire supply system
in the city for a 30-year term," Thippeswamy said. He said BWSSB is
the first water supply body in the country to privatise water supply
system. Mumbai has recently initiated plans in this direction and
Chennai and Hyderabad are the other cities that are to follow suit.
The privatisation of water supply became necessary because the
existing government machinery was not able to streamline the system
and prevent loss of water About 35 to 40 per cent of water is being lost, resulting in
shortage in supply of potable water. With an efficient management in
place, this loss could be minimised, it is felt. The privatisation
move is part of the Boards' ongoing Master Plan under
the AUS-AID programme whose objectives, among other things, include
complete privatisation of the water supply system on
build-operate-own (BOO) and build-operate-own-transfer (BOOT) basis.
The AUS-AID programme, being taken up with an assistance of Rs 18
crore from the Australian government, aims to streamline the water
supply system in the city to meet the requirements for the next 25
years. (Web Exclusive)
Source: http://www.timesofindia.com/110401/11mban1.htm