FE, Friends of the Earth (2004) What you need to know about 'NAMA': Why the WTO's non-agricultural market negotiations threaten both environment and development. Friends of the Earth (FE).
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In NAMA, all natural resources are effectively on the table for either partial or complete liberalisation, with a particular focus at the moment on fish and fish products, gems and minerals. Other trade restrictions (known as non-tariff barriers or NTBs, which include measures designed to protect the environment and promote social welfare) are also at risk. For example, in relation to the environment, the following have already been listed for further consideration by the WTO the certification of wood products, restrictions on trade in chemicals and viruses put in place for `strategic reasons', the tracing and labelling of fish and fish products; general import prohibitions for environmental purposes; and packaging, marketing and labelling requirements. Developing countries also face the prospect of deindustrialisation and loss of significant quantities of government custom revenue, as industrialised countries aggressively pursue negotiating tactics specifically designed to lever open developing country markets. Developing countries also risk losing the use of trade measures as affordable tools allowing them to protect their environment and promote domestic economic development. This could lock many developing countries into their existing commodity dependence and discourage diversification. It is, therefore, imperative that governments need to take the following actions immediately a) Halt the NAMA negotiations and agree to a full, independent review of the potential environmental and developmental impacts of NAMA. b) Protect governments' policy space, including through the use of tariffs and non-tariff barriers genuinely intended to develop fair and sustainable economies and protect their environment, including through the sustainable management of natural resources. c) Promote resource conservation by stopping further liberalisation of natural resources, such as forest, fish, oil, gas and mining products in the WTO and elsewhere.
| Item Type: | Documents |
|---|---|
| Class Number: | 400.WHA002 |
| Keywords: | NAMA, WTO, Trade, Trade and Environment, Trade Development Report, Agriculture, Doha Development Agenda, Non-tariff Barriers, Natural Resources, Conservation, Trade Liberalisation, UNCTAD, Impact, Poverty, Tariff, Fish Products, Certification, Labelling, Marketing, Fisheries |
| Subjects: | Fisheries Trade |
| Depositing User: | Chitti Babu ICSF |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Feb 2022 04:19 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Feb 2022 04:19 |
| URI: | http://icsfarchives.net/id/eprint/9131 |
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