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Why civil society needs to participate in trade negotiations

This article explores the significance of civil society's participation in trade negotiations, highlighting the long-term benefits of their involvement. It discusses the growing maturity of civil society organizations, the need for their contributions to governance, and the increasing professionalization of these organizations. The article also covers the background and outcomes of the Quito Ministerial Meeting and the Civil Society Forum, emphasizing the consensus reached and the tangible results produced. It concludes with the importance of continued involvement and the establishment of national consultation mechanisms to shape regional policy.

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Why civil society needs to participate in trade negotiations

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  1. Why civil society needs to participate in trade negotiations Washington, December 10th, 2002. Organization of American States Maria Amparo Albán Ecuadorian Center for Environmental Law - Ecuador

  2. PROCESS BACKGROUND • Participation secures long term agreements. • Level of maturity of Civil society that allows for substantial contributions to negotiating processes. • Civil society has a role in contributing to governance. • Growing professionalization of civil society organizations.

  3. PROCESSBACKGROUND • Parallel discussions during the past FTAA Ministerial Meetings • Growing concern about the contents of the negotiating draft. • Level of consensus from environmental community reached through previous discussions • Need to deliver to Ministers tangible results that can build upon the process.

  4. THE QUITO MINISTERIAL MEETING (November 1-2, 2002) • Dialogues with Ecuadorean Government, they found out that opening doors is not a threat. • Government compromised to organize a meeting, along similar lines to the “Business Forum”. • Many countries including “developed and developing”, supported the initiative.

  5. CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM • “Forum Towards Civil Society Participation in the Americas: Workshops on Trade and the Environment,” gathered in Quito, Ecuador, with the goal of contributing to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process of commercial integration, took place from October 29-30, 2002. • Taking into account many international instrumentes such as:

  6. Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on participation, adopted by more than 120 heads of state in Rio de Janiero, 1992, regarding access to information, process and justice; • The Ministerial Declaration of Buenos Aires of 2001 which reaffirms the commitment of the states to the principle of transparency in the FTAA process, and recognizes the need for increased participation of different sectors of civil society in the hemispheric initiative; • Regional instruments such as the Inter-American Strategy for Public Participation in Sustainable Development Decision-making (OAS/ISP);

  7. Article 6 of the Inter-American Charter for Democracy, adopted by the governments of the hemisphere in Peru in 2001, which states that “It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decision making related to their own development.” • Resolution 1852 (2002) of the Organization of American States on Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in the Activities of the OAS, and Resolution 1668 (1999) on Strengthening Cooperation between Governments and Civil Society; and

  8. THE OUTCOMES • A Consensual document supported by more than 80 organizations throughout the Americas working on trade and environment issues. • Recommendations of five different issues subject to negotiations: intellectual property rights, market access, investment, sustainability assessments, and civil society participation.

  9. THE FOLLOW UP PROCESS • The “Quito Consensus Document” is a starting point to launch a collaborative effort with government officials of the different countries, and intergovernmental organizations that are supporting the FTAA negotiations. • There is a need to open up the process and include representatives from the more reactive sectors of society. “Everybody has something to say”

  10. THE FOLLOW UP PROCESS • Pretends to build national mechanisms for consultation,of the FTAA implications. • Needs to keep working in the different subjects for further and more specialized development of recommendations. • Needs the involvement of everyone that can influence regional policy making.

  11. THANK YOU

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