StopMAI Media Release
PERTH, 5 December, 1999

Seattle failure spells the end of 'free trade'
and the birth of 'fair trade' principles

StopMAI Australia welcomes the refusal of developing nations to be bullied by the rich countries into accepting a new round of 'liberalisation' at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in Seattle.

This outcome was entirely predictable in view of the overwhelming public hostility to a "Millennial Round" and the consequent failure of the year-long Geneva negotiations to even agree on an agenda for Seattle. Any continuing talks in that same direction are equally doomed to failure.

The WTO lost its way because its negotiating processes are biassed in favour of the multinational corporations which control the majority of world trade and investment -- and legitimate interests of the world's peoples are ignored.

The Australian delegation likewise represented business interests to the exclusion of the social, industrial, environmental and human rights viewpoints which would have been deeply affected had a new round been decided on.

Seattle will now be recognised as the graveyard of neoliberal free trade doctrine and the birthplace of long-overdue recognition of fair trade principles based on global equity, transparency, justice and the participation of all affected parties.

When the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) failed in 1998 for identical reasons, it should have been obvious to the Australian Government that the world's people will no longer accept railroading by power blocs.

It is clear that the approach taken by the Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs was a costly mistake, necessitating an earnest review and reform process to avoid future repetition.

ends