Mass Lobby for Trade Justice
More than 8000 campaigners from across the UK converged on Parliament on the 2nd of November to ask MPs to take action for Trade Justice. In the biggest parliamentary lobby of the year, we called on the UK government to push for a fair deal for the world's poor in crucial world trade talks this December.
Over half of all MPs were lobbied - their constituents asked them to sign Early Day Motion 679 ‘Making poverty history through trade justice’ and to write to Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, asking what he will do to respond to campaigners’ concerns.
The lobby demonstrated that campaigners cannot be fobbed off with mere words: we will keep up the pressure until we see action that makes trade justice a reality.
P&Pers were there to demand the UK opposes an agenda forcing developing countries to open their markets to damaging international competition. They made their presence felt with an array of fantastic props and street theatre. One group even managed to secure a meeting with Gordon Brown, and asked him tough questions on the WTO rules that are hindering access to treatment for HIV/AIDS.
There was a whole coachload from Warwick P&P! 34 people turned up to lobby their local MPs.
King’s College P&P made their mark by entertaining crowds with their Fairtrade Gorrillas and Corporate Fat Cat costumes. Gorrillas brandishing inflatable Fairtrade bananas engaged in all-out warfare with the evil representatives of free trade.
Meanwhile, a corporate Fat Cat tried to bribe waiting lobbyists to leave the long queues by handing out fake dollar bills! Luckily everyone in the queue was determined to make their demands for Trade Justice known to their MPs and resisted the temptation!
Students from two London unis - Royal Holloway and Roehampton - teamed up to perform a piece of street theatre to the waiting crowds. Despite the rain they worked their way down the long lines of onlookers portraying the inequalities of current WTO trade policies through an unfair tug-of-war and comedy sketches.
Students from Roehampton also helped out by volunteering themselves as stewards for the event and handing in loads of Vote for Trade Justice cards!
Oxford P&P were also out in force. Here they show what they think of current World Trade Organisation rules.
Portsmouth arrived in fabulous grim reaper costumes and sporting an eye-catching silver coffin bearing the message ‘free trade kills’.
Portsmouth P&P again.
LSE P&P came along carrying brilliant placards reading “Make world trade work for the whole world!” and “End export subsidies now!” Between them all they managed meetings with loads of MPs.
Loughborough P&P meet Gordon Brown
Cat and Leon from Loughborough P&P managed to get a meeting with Gordon Brown, and took the opportunity to question him on how trade rules threatened access to treatment for HIV/AIDS.
They are following up their meeting with both an email to the Treasury, and a letter with more questions, to see if they can get a clear answer to their question in writing.
Cat told us how the meeting went:
“THE MEETING: Our MP Andy Reed arranged for his constituents, along with another MP’s constituents, to meet with Gordon Brown as part of the Mass lobby of Parliament for Trade Justice. After rigorous searching, we were escorted past the police and into the main lobby of the Houses of Parliament … When Gordon Brown arrived, he shook our hands and exchanged pleasantries … He then looked like he was going to leave! … I thought, this is probably the only chance we’re going to get and can’t let him leave with asking anything, so I told him I had a question … I explained what it was about (access to HIV/AIDS drugs for people in developing countries under the TRIPS agreement) and he started to engage with us about the issue. Mr Brown said he agreed that it was an important issue, and started to tell us about a new preventative malaria drug … We agreed this was great and then pulled him back onto the topic of HIV/AIDS treatment.He agreed that we weren’t currently looking like we were going to meet the 2010 target, and that the problem was lack of funding. We pushed him about the need for generic drugs if we are going to meet the target, and after a couple of forceful prods from Leon he said that ‘generics and funding’ were needed (although I noticed he said this rushing through the word generics and emphasising funding!)”
OUR QUESTION: Our question is concerning access to generic drugs to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries under the TRIPS agreement. The Doha Declaration should mean that countries in a health crisis can use generic drugs, yet because of the wording and conditions of it developing countries have not been able to take advantage of it, despite 8 500 people dying every day from HIV/AIDS. The Government has made a commitment that by 2010 there should be Universal access to drugs, yet how does it plan to meet these targets without increasing access to generic drugs in developing countries? Do you not agree that generic drugs are necessary if we are to combat this epidemic?”
Take action here & now.
Keep up the pressure! Email Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alan Johnson. You can use the text below or edit it to address your own particular concerns.
This action is no longer active.
When the action was active, this was our suggested text.
WTO Ministerial: We need Trade Justice
Dear Mr Johnson As a student I believe trade justice -- trade rules that work in the interests of poor people and the environment -- is necessary if we are to make poverty history. I call on the UK government and its partners in the EU to stop pushing poor countries to open their economies, and to respect their right to decide on trade policies that will help them end poverty and protect their environment. December's World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Hong Kong offers you the chance to work for trade justice not free trade. As Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, please ensure the UK works with other WTO member countries to: + Allow developing countries to use trade policies to protect their vulnerable farm sectors and promote their national industries + Allow countries to choose the best policies for poor people and the environment in services such as water, health and education. The UN Human Development Report 2005, clearly states that "Multilateral rules should not impose obligations that are inconsistent with national poverty reduction strategies" It also says "What is not in doubt is the simple truth that, as a global community, we have the means to eradicate poverty and to overcome the deep inequalities that divide countries and people. The fundamental question that remains to be answered five years after the Millennium Declaration was signed is whether the world's governments have the resolve to break with past practice and act on their promise to the world's poor. If ever there was a moment for decisive political leadership to advance the shared interests of humanity, that moment is now" Change is possible, if we only have the will to make it happen. I urge you to use your position as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to ensure that the Millennium Declaration's promise to the world's poor is not broken. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely,