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 Thousands of demonstrators protested the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) anti-environmental record last November in Seattle. These citizen-activists helped to block new talks to expand the WTO's powers, and laid the groundwork for an environmental overhaul of the WTO. Harnessing the "Spirit of Seattle" In the wake of the protests, the Sierra Club will urge President Clinton to take executive action to open up US trade policymaking to ordinary citizens and to fix the WTO rules that hurt public health and the environment. Sacrificing Democracy Established in 1995, the 135-member WTO shifted enormous power from local, state, and national governments to unaccountable international bureaucrats. The WTO can review and penalize any act of any government that in any way compromises its trade rules. Governments must comply. As the WTO charter states: "Each member [country] shall ensure the conformity of its laws, regulations and administrative procedures with its obligations in the [WTO]." WTO dispute panels consist of three trade lawyers. Only national governments are
represented in disputes. Citizens' organizations and state and local governments are
locked out, even when their interests are at stake. Proceedings are secret.
Rulings are final and binding. A country that loses a dispute must change its
domestic law or pay penalties to keep its law in place. Government of, by, and for the Corporations The WTO also shifted enormous power over environmental, health, and safety laws from ordinary citizens to the corporations that dominate global trade. More than 1000 corporate lobbyists sit on 16 committees that advise the US Trade Representative (USTR) - the White House office in charge of trade talks. These committees do not include any representatives of public interest groups, and their deliberations are treated as national security secrets. When Congress has rejected legislation that would weaken environmental protection laws at home, corporate lobbyists have simply carried some of these same proposals to the USTR's secretive advisory committees for inclusion in "trade agreements." Citizen groups cannot monitor what the USTR is advocating as US policy in international
trade talks because we are not allowed in the room with the corporate lobbyists when the
decisions are being made. The USTR's Anti Environmental Record As a result of the international trade rules advocated by the USTR, WTO dispute panels
have already ruled against:
In each case where the WTO ruled against a US environmental law, the USTR lobbied to weaken the law in order to bring it into compliance with trade rules. The USTR does so to increase its chances of getting foreign governments to comply with WTO rulings against their laws. In addition to specific rulings against health and environmental standards, the WTO also exerts a powerful "chilling effect" on environmental progress. Afterall, governments are required to bring their laws and regulations into compliance with the WTO rules even when a dispute panel does not issue a specific ruling. In this way, food safety, waste reduction, and invasive pest standards have all been quietly weakened already. All Talk, No Action President Clinton has proposed several modest reforms that would open up the WTO to increased public involvement. Yet, overall, his trade policy embraces corporate interests, but shuts out public interests. For instance, the USTR recently appealed the ruling of a federal judge to appoint representatives of citizens' groups to two of its industry-only advisory committees. This move directly contradicted the President's promise to make trade policy more open and accountable. Make Trade Clean, Green and Fair! To make trade clean, green, and fair, the Sierra Club is urging the Clinton
administration to take executive action to:
Get Involved! To help in the right to make trade clean, green, and fair:
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