World trade talks collapse
Ekklesia reports the collapse of the WTO talks and their failure to carry through promises made last year after the huge Make Poverty History campaign. Yet more reason for cynicism – politicians forgetting their promises as soon as they walk out of the room, and failing to help the most vulnerable while propping up their own constituencies.
The talks ground to a halt as the European Union and the United States refused to stop dumping subsidised agricultural products onto world markets, a practice that distorts commodity prices in poor countries and cheats subsistence farmers out of a decent livelihood.
Despite the promises made last year at the G8, the EU and US also refused to give developing countries adequate choice over which sectors and products to open up to foreign competition.
pax et bonum
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