JOHANNESBURG: WTo must respect MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS

Friends of the Earth International - Greenpeace International
Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED) - Sierra Club - Third World
Network

PRESS RELEASE

April 3, 2002

JOHANNESBURG EARTH SUMMIT MUST AGREE
THAT THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) WILL
RESPECT MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS

As governments meet in New York to prepare the Earth Summit in
Johannesburg,
Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace International, Northern
Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED), Sierra Club and Third World Network
have issued a statement calling upon the Johannesburg Summit to ensure
that Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) are not subordinated
to or undermined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The groups argue that there is an urgent necessity for governments to
save MEAs from WTO takeover: Several global agreements have suffered
from a *chill effect* as some governments have claimed that they are not
compatible with WTO rules. At the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in
Doha, WTO Members decided to launch negotiations on the relationship
between MEAs and trade rules. Negotiations will come to first results in
mid 2003, but it is not clear whether the outcome will be positive or
negative for the further development of MEAs.

With the forthcoming Word Summit for Sustainable Development, the NGOs
see a unique chance for governments to:

* reaffirm the authority and autonomy of MEAs; and
* clarify that the objectives, principles, and provisions of MEAs must
not be
subordinated to WTO rules.

David Waskow of Friends of the Earth International said, "Multilateral
Environmental Agreements must be fully recognised and strengthened as a
countervailing force to WTO rules. At stake here is whether global
governance will in fact protect people and the planet."

Remi Parmentier of Greenpeace International commented, "Our hope is that
in Johannesburg, Heads of State and Government will agree where trade
ministries have failed, and get on with redefining a trade regime that
works for all, including the environment."

Chee Yoke Ling of Third World Network said, "During and since Rio, a
number of major MEAs, including the Convention on Biological Diversity,
Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, Persistent Organic Pollutants Convention,
and Kyoto Protocol , have been negotiated with universal
intergovernmental participation. These agreements should not be
subordinated to WTO rules."

Pieter van der Gaag of ANPED said, "MEAs are not negotiated to undermine
trade rules. They are negotiated to solve the environmental problems we
face. Subordinating MEAs to the WTO would limit our ability to protect
our planet."

Ruth Caplan of the Sierra Club said, "MEAs are essential for sustainable
development -- we should not allow the WTO to weaken them in any way."

For the full statement see www.foei.org

Contacts:
Alexandra Wandel, 49-172-748 39 53 or David Waskow, Friends of the
Earth International (in New York): 1 202 258 1348
Remi Parmentier, Greenpeace International: 31 653 504 702

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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