In advance of MC12, global union federations published a united statement: the WTO Reform “should focus on inclusion: put workers’ interests first, bring corporate power under democratic control, and deliver on the development mandate agreed upon in Doha.” (It failed on all accounts.) Most of their interests were defensive, trying to deal with problems in existing WTO rules, as detailed in “ Looking towards WTO MC12: What’s on the table for developing countries and LDCs ?” Their version of WTO “reform” will facilitate the further deterioration of multilateralism and cement-in discredited pro-corporate rules on globalization.ĭeveloping countries made several key demands in advance of MC12: to put flexibility to address the global health crisis ahead of excessive protection of intellectual property rights for Big Pharma and deal with the ongoing food security crisis by adopting new flexibilities on harmful agricultural rules. The agreements should herald a warning to all: rich country governments professing new commitments to sustainable and worker-centered trade are just as likely to push anti-development outcomes and cosmetic window-dressing when it comes to protecting Big Business profits above the public interest. The spin of “unprecedented outcomes” of MC12 is a cynical ploy to paper over major differences to bolster the institution’s flailing reputation. Last week’s WTO 12 th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva concluded with pro-corporate, anti-worker, and anti-development outcomes on all major issues of access to medicines, agriculture, digital trade, and the future of the WTO itself.
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