反對世貿《服務業貿易總協訂》，反對公共服務私營化的國際行動呼籲
世貿不應沾手公共服務，不要《服務業貿易總協訂》，反對達成任何談判新共識
當第六屆世貿部長級會議於12月份在香港舉行的日子愈來愈迫近，各國負責參與談判的成員就感到來自其政府的壓力愈來愈大。各國政府(主要是發達國家)都希望可以就多哈回合的談判，取得「成功」的結果，而其中就包括《服務業貿易總協訂》影響範圍的擴張。根據世貿領導層在2004年7月暗地裡策劃的框架，公共服務的外判、私營化應加速進行；同時各國的政策應變得更有彈性，開放更多的市場予不限於提供貨物，而同時包括公共服務在內的跨國財團。
事實上，《服務業貿易總協訂》所帶來的影響遠超於加速了公共服務的外判、私營化。《服務業貿易總協訂》不單是一個有關貿易的協議，而更是協助跨國財團更加毫無阻礙地入侵公共服務市場，剝削民眾享有公共服務權利的工具。世貿卻把《服務業貿易總協訂》跨成第一個多邊的貿易協議，而歐盟則把《服務業貿易總協訂》視為製造商機的工具。
從食水供應，到公共交通、醫療、教育，通通都被《服務業貿易總協訂》視為服務。因此，任何被視為對跨國資本入侵這些領域的障礙，包括政府對改善不人道的生存環境，以及改善環境污染的承擔，通通都要被掃除。結果，根據《服務業貿易總協訂》，國家保護人民權益，改善人民福祉的主權都要被剝奪。
另外兩個由財團控制的國際組織──世界銀行及國際貨幣基金會，長期強迫第三世界國家推行外判、私營化，以及去規管化的政策，對當地人民及經濟帶來災難性，而且是無可挽回的後果。政府被迫對公共服務──包括食水、電力、醫療──進行去規管化及外判、私營化，剝奪了數以百萬、千萬計人民享有人道的生活水平的權利。貧農、工人、婦女及兒童，是政府向私營財團割讓公共服務後，受苦最深的社群。
而世貿《服務業貿易總協訂》更進一步限制了發展中國家的發展及生存的機會。食水資源及供應服務，因被視為對發展最為重要的因素，所以常常處於商品化及私營化的威脅底下。歐洲的幾大供水財閥──蘇伊士、維雲迪及泰美斯，已經侵入了亞洲、非洲及拉丁美洲多國的食水供應市場。這些財團的利益，就是透過歐盟不斷推動把食水供應涵蓋在《服務業貿易總協訂》的範圍而得來的。
根據第三世界國家廣泛的經驗，當政府向私營大財團割讓提供醫療、食水、電力、房屋及教育此等基本公共服務的權力後，人民──尤其是貧窮及邊緣社群──的基本生存權利就受到了嚴重的侵害。由於只有少數富人才能負擔得起購買安全而潔淨的食水以及健康服務，第三世界國家都相繼爆發霍亂疫症及腸胃感染疾病。
《服務業貿易總協訂》的倡議者竟然虛偽地宣稱政府可以選擇維持由政府提供個別的公共服務，而基本公共服務的私營化並非《服務業貿易總協訂》的要求。但是，《服務業貿易總協訂》根本對私營財團有非常明顯的偏好，而世貿的黑箱作業式談判機制根本就是有利於發達國家，讓它們可以向發展中國家施加極大的壓力。
因此，高舉我們的訴求，發起反對世貿及《服務業貿易總協訂》的國際性浪潮，就顯得相當迫切。由現在起，直到12月，讓我們一同在各地積極動員，利用不同的方式宣示我們的訴求。
我們呼籲各個社運團體，基層組織及非政府組織，一同於10月19日，世貿於日內瓦召開總理事會之前，發起聯合行動，反對《服務業貿易總協訂》，反對私營化。
讓我們於第六屆世貿部長級會議期間，一同發聲，凝聚力量抗衡《服務業貿易總協訂》，並將12月14日定為國際反對《服務業貿易總協訂》及私營化行動日！
(有意聯署者，請電郵至[email protected]及[email protected])
已聯署團體：
ASIA/PACIFIC -Regional Formations
Jubilee South – APMDD
Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives
Focus on the Global South
Via Campesina – Asia
Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development
Asian Migrants Center
Migrant Forum in Asia
NGO Forum on ADB
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
AZERBAIJAN
Center for Civic Initiatives
BANGLADESH
Community Development Library
Lokoj Institute
Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labor Federation
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Karmojibi Nari
Bangladesh Jatiya Sromik Jote
Jatiya Krishok Jote
BELGIUM
11.11.11
CAMBODIA
Womyn’s Agenda for Change
Partnership for Development in Kampuchea
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Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions,
Filipino Domestic Helpers General Union
INDIA
Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti
National Confederation of Officers Associations of Central Public Sector Undertakings
India Social Action Forum
People's Monitoring Group on Electricity Regulation
The Association of Karnataka Farmers
Centre for Organization, Research and Education
River Basin Movement
INDONESIA
Koalisi Anti-Utang
KAU – Juwa Timor
International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development
KRUHA – People’s Coalition for the Rights to Water
WALHI
FSPI- Federasi Serikat Petani Indonesia
JATAM – Mining Advocacy Network
Working Group on Power Sector Restructuring
Transportation and Delivery Workers Federation
Natural Resource and Development Inititiatives
JAPAN
Anti WTO / ATTAC
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Peace Boat
KOREA
Korean People’s Action Against FTAS and WTO (KOPA)
Korean Public Services Union
Korean Government Employees' Union
Korean Labour Social Network on Energy
People’s Health Coalitions for Equitable Society
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Altogether
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
Federation of Korean Trade Unions
MALAYSIA
Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization
Friends of the Earth
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Society for Health Education
NEPAL
Rural Reconstruction Nepal
All Nepal Women’s Association
General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions
Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies
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NETHERLANDS
Dutch GATS Platform
PAKISTAN
People’s Rights Movement
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
Anjuman Asia Awam (Association of Peoples of Asia Pakistan Chapter)
Labor Party Pakistan
Muttehida Labour Federation
PHILIPPINES
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Farmer’s Federations Association for Development
MEAWU
LUMWA
Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women
People’s Coalition Party
ZIMBABWE
Ecumenical Support Services
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development
Call for International Actions against GATS - WTO & the Privatization of Basic Services
Services Out of WTO, WTO out of Services!
No to GATS! No New Deal in Hong Kong!
In the run up to the December 2005 Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Hong Kong, trade negotiators are under intense pressure by their respective governments to achieve a “successful” outcome in the negotiations for the Doha Development Round, which includes expansion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). As WTO leaders have tried to ensure by stealthily hatching the July Framework in 2004, services liberalization agreements should be accelerated and national polices must be made with greater flexibility, such that more markets are pried open to global trade not just in manufactured goods but in services as well.
In truth, there is more than just the acceleration of services liberalization in GATS. Contrary to how it is pack-aged, GATS is not the trade agreement that it is but one-sided investment tool that gives global corporations increasingly unhampered access to markets and human services, and grants them as much if not even greater rights than citizens to exploit such access. The WTO and the European Commission have said as much, respec-tively flaunting GATS as the first multilateral agreement on investments and principally as an instrument of busi-ness.
Practically all sectors, from water delivery and transportation to health and education are considered services under GATS. Any barrier to global capital in these sectors, including national safeguards against inhuman work-ing conditions or environmental degradation will be steadily demolished. In fact, the very sovereign rights of nations to protect the interests of citizens and uphold their welfare, above all, have no place under the GATS framework.
Other agents of global corporate domination -- the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- have long imposed policy conditionalities of liberalization, deregulation and privatization upon South countries, with disastrous and fatal outcomes for entire populations and economies of the developing world. Governments have been pressured to deregulate and privatize public services, like water, power and health, depriving mil-lions of the basic requirements for a decent life. Poor farmers, workers, women and children severely suffer the adverse impacts of surrendering control of public services to private corporations.
GATS-WTO further limits developing countries’ chances of development and survival. Water resources and ser-vices, recognized as crucial to development, are particularly in danger of commodification and privatization. European water giants have already been making large investments in many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The interests of firms like Suez, Vivendi and Thames Water are clearly behind the European Union’s push for the inclusion of water services in the coverage of GATS.
Experiences across South countries show that the basic rights of people, especially the poor and the marginal-ized, are being progressively eroded by governments surrendering such critical services sectors as health, wa-ter, power, housing and education to private big business. Many countries in the South have suffered outbreaks of cholera and other gastro-intestinal diseases because safe water and basic health care are increasingly be-ing made accessible only to those with the capacity to pay.
GATS proponents deceitfully argue that governments can choose to keep certain sectors closed and that pri-vatization of basic social services is not a GATS requirement. But GATS has very clear bias for private business and non-transparent WTO mechanisms favor developed nations, and processes allow them to apply intense pressure on developing countries.
It is most urgent to raise our voices and create a strong wave of international opposition against GATS and the WTO. From now to December, let us mobilize in our own countries and manifest our protests in various ways.
We call on social movements, people’s organizations and non-government organizations to hold regionally coordinated actions on October 19 to protest against GATS and privatization, at the start of the WTO General Council meeting in Geneva.
At the forthcoming 6th Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, let us raise our voices, collectively pool our strengths to mobilize against GATS, and mark December 14 as the International Day of Protest Against GATS and privatization!
(Please sign on & send signatures to [email protected] & [email protected])