ADDRESS GIVEN BY M.M. YUSIF AT A ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION ON WTO AGREEMENTS ORGANISED BY ANTI-GLOBALIZATION FORUM KANO-NIGERIA

ADDRESS GIVEN BY M.M. YUSIF AT A ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION ON WTO AGREEMENTS ORGANISED BY ANTI-GLOBALIZATION FORUM KANO-NIGERIA

19/09/04 AT KANO STATE LIBRARY

On behalf of Anti-globalisation forum Kano-Nigeria, I wish to welcome all of you to this occasion. This is a Round-Table Discussion on a crucial economic institution i.e. The World Trade Organisation – which affects our lives – whether we are able to notice the impact or not.

All the participants are deliberately invited because they are the organisations which we believe either directly or indirectly would understand the presence and impact of WTO in our small environment.

It is in view of this that the Anti-globalisation forum feels that a gathering of the representatives of these Trade Unions and other individuals noted for their contact and experience with this problem, could bring out useful ideas to educate and raise the consciousness of the public on this great economic problem of today.

To educate the people is one of the major objectives of the AGF. Others are to produce knowledge and make policy analysis with a view to understanding the effects of the globalisation process on the people of Kano in particular and Nigeria in general, as well as to promote thinking and ideas on alternative development policies and development path that advances social justice.

The means of achieving these objectives are through workshops, seminars and conferences, research and documentation and through campaign and rallies in order to spread anti-globalisation sentiments and alternative policy analysis and projects.

In short, the forum is a Non-Governmental Organisation. But of a special type. In the sense that it relies and will continue to rely on the resources of its members. In other words it does not seek financial assistance from any foreign sponsors.

The topic of today’s programme which is the first in the series of activities in the last quarter of this year is as earlier stated on World Trade Organisation. It is going to be a Round-Table Discussion.

The idea of a Round-Table is not a paper presentation followed by questions and comments. But that anybody on the Round-Table can pick up any issue on the topic or any other issue raised by another person on the Table and discuss it. In the end we would come up with a communiqué.

To give an overview of the WTO. It is one if not the major agent of the management and monitoring of contemporary World Market Economy. Its function is to create and reproduce global single market regime where there is global capital movements and free-trade without protection and restriction. For the benefits of only the big multinational corporations.

I have no doubt that in Contemporary World Politics, the WTO is the most powerful international organisation. It is the only global organisation operating with legislative and judicial powers and it can enforce its agreements. Indeed, it is so powerful that it can go beyond itself, to do what it is not supposed to do.

Although WTO has a constitution which guides its operations, the major instruments of its work are the Multilateral Agreements – Agreement on Agriculture; Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures; Textiles and clothing; General Agreement on Trade and Services; Trade related investment measures; Trade-related intellectual property; Technical Barrier to Trade; Anti-dumping; Customs valuation; Pre-shipment inspection’ Subsidies and countervailing measures.

In addition to Multilateral Agreements’ there are also Plurilateral Agreements such as Agreement on Trade in Civil Air Craft; Government Procurement; International Dairy Agreement; International bovine meat Agreement; etc.

The formal structure of the WTO is made up of Ministerial Conference which is the highest decision-making body of the organisation. It is attended by members and observers. The quad countries – USA; EU; Canada and Japan are the most powerful members who on behalf of the major global corporations dictate militaristically the decision of the conference. Other governance structures of the organisation are the General Council; Council for Trade; and Subsidiary Bodies such as Information Technology Agreement Committee, Textile Monitoring Body, State Trading Enterprise Committee, etc.

There are also other committees such as on Trade and Environment; Trade and Development; Regional Trade Agreement; Balance of Payment Restriction as well as on Budget, Finance and Administration. There are also working parties on different matters.

However, there is a lack of consensus among academics and policy makers regarding benefits of the WTO to poor countries. Its proponents and the IFIS in particular maintain that it is a vehicle for economic progress, human development, increased growth of income, etc. Yet, in Nigeria and other developing countries, the impact is devastating on the lives of the people, on industry, small-farmers, generally the environment, and other sectors of the economy.

The Government of Nigeria today is opening the Nigerian Economy to this organisation more than all what the previous regimes had done – the labour reform; the University reform; Government procurement law; bound by all other Multilateral Agreements; Privatisation of everything, etc.