Greenpeace "Rainbow Warrior" Ship In Qatar for WTO
Greenpeace challenges WTO to play by its own rules over climate change and force the US to join Kyoto
The Greenpeace flag ship, SV Rainbow Warrior, sailed into Doha today to challenge the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to use the 4th Ministerial Conference to force the US to commit to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Greenpeace warned the delegates at the conference that the principles of the WTO would render worthless unless the meeting extracted the commitment from the US.
"The WTO in its own charter claims to promote the use of the world's resources for sustainable development," said Greenpeace International Executive Director, Gerd Leipold, on board the Rainbow Warrior.
"That claim is nonsense if they do not actively promote efforts to combat climate change through the Kyoto Protocol. By allowing the US to remain outside the protocol, the WTO is effectively handing them a multi billion dollar trade subsidy. This makes a mockery of the organisation's own rules."
Greenpeace will urge member states at the meeting to refuse to engage in a new round of trade liberalisation at least until the US ratifies Kyoto and the WTO adopts effective measures to address environmental destruction.
"If in six days time there has been no new round, this meeting will have been a success, because it will force the WTO to change," said Remi Parmentier, the Political Director of Greenpeace International.
"WTO decisions must not be allowed to overrule international environmental agreements; the precautionary principle must be incorporated in decision-making; and patents on life must be banned," Parmentier added.
On board the Rainbow Warrior for the duration of the WTO meeting will be nationalities from 18 countries, including "witnesses" from local communities who will testify to the adverse affects of WTO global policies. Greenpeace will also broadcast "No New Round Radio" daily over the internet.
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No New Round Radio Webcast - Tune in NOW!
Greenpeace and Indymedia are now webcasting from the Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, in Doha. The web radio broadcast will last throughout the duration of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 4th ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar.
The webcast will bring the WTO protests to the delegates and inform people worldwide about what is happening at the meeting. Hopefully, listeners will use this information to pressure their governments.
This is the official independent WTO radio voice so to listen to it tune in to http://xs2.greenpeace.org:8000/no-wto now.
Having problems hearing the sound? Click here.
You can also download the interviews from http://www.greenpeace.org/politics/no-wto/doha/
More information
On September 15th 2001, the Greenpeace flagship SV Rainbow Warrior set sail from the US en route to Qatar and the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 4th Ministerial Conference.
Carrying an international crew, the vessel has sailed for nearly two months to reach a meeting that many thought would never take place in the aftermath of September 11th.
Greenpeace will use the Rainbow Warrior to bring the message "No Environmental Trade Off". On board will be representatives from the five continents who are directly affected by the adverse impacts of WTO policy, which fails to take account of environmental and social needs.
The Rainbow Warrior will be a platform for those voices not just in Doha, but beyond.
Greenpeace will be broadcasting over the internet through No New Round Radio, holding seminars, press conferences and continuing to demand the WTO agenda take into consideration environmental and social concerns before launching a new round of trade liberalisation.
Greenpeace will argue that the WTO meeting would be a success and an excellent opportunity if the "new Round of trade liberalisation" proposed by the US and the EU was rejected by the majority of WTO member states.
The Greenpeace delegation includes the Greenpeace International Executive Director, Gerd Leipold, Political Director, Remi Parmentier and representatives from Greenpeace in France, the US, Canada, Brazil, Lebanon and Germany.
Interviews can be conducted in English, Arabic, German, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
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