BY IGGY KIM

SYDNEY — Activists from a wide range of organisations attended a meeting on August 30 to organise action against the World Trade Organisation's “informal” meeting of trade ministers, due to be held in Sydney on November 14-15.

This WTO meeting will be a caucus of trade ministers from developed capitalist countries and the more industrialised Third World countries, in preparation for the full WTO meeting in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003.

The August 30 meeting was initiated by the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET). Other participating organisations included the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Sydney Social Forum, Aid Watch, Free the Refugees Campaign, NSW Greens, People for Nuclear Disarmament, Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific, Search Foundation, Labor for Refugees, Sydney University environment collective, NUS environment department, Catholic Social Justice Commission and the NSW Teachers Federation.

Some of these participants are also involved in the No-WTO coalition. There was acknowledgement of other activities being planned against the WTO meeting. In discussion, all participants agreed that the role for this coalition should be a mass unity rally on November 14 and a seminar on the preceding Sunday.

A working group was formed to draft demands to be discussed at the next meeting, to be held at 9am on September 13. The meetings take place at the AMWU's Surry Hills office on 128 Chalmers Street (1st floor). Those interested in attending should contact Pat Ranald at AFTINET on 9299 7833 or <pranald@piac.asn.au>.

From Green Left Weekly, September 11, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

Tools

• Bookmark This Page
• Print This Page