On the occasion of the fifty-fifth annual meetings of the governing bodies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, we call for the immediate suspension of the policies and practices that have caused widespread poverty and suffering among the world's peoples and damage to the world's environment. We oppose those policies that have encouraged the suppression of basic human rights and freedoms, especially those specific to women, workers, and the poor. We assert the responsibility of these institutions, together with the World Trade Organization and multi-national corporations for an unjust world economic system.
We issue this call in the name of global justice, in solidarity with the peoples of the Global South struggling for survival and dignity in the face of unjust economic policies. We seek to create just societies, where governments are accountable first and foremost to the will of their peoples for equitable economic development. Only when the coercive powers of the international financial institutions are rescinded can such a society exist. Only when international institutions are no longer controlled by the wealthiest governments for the purpose of dictating policy to the poorer ones shall all peoples and nations be able to forge bonds - economic and otherwise - based on mutual respect and the common needs. Only when the well-being of all, including the most vulnerable people and ecosystems, is given priority over corporate profits shall we achieve genuine sustainable development and create a world of justice, equality, and peace.
Endorsing Organizations:
American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Jobs with Justice Essential Action 50 Years is Enough Network Center for Economic and Policy Research