WTO Statement for YPSEA

WTO was established as a platform for trade negotiation but we believe that a “one size fits all” solution to solve the problem of international trade is not at all viable as each country especially the developing countries have peculiarities and specificities that would require different approaches.

In the past WTO negotiations, WTO had transformed the world economy game from rules based to power based system. The few most powerful countries have more say than the others. Information and negotiating capacities of WTO member countries has been asymmetrical, favoring the developed countries, and the chance to speak in the negotiation table is not equally shared by all delegates.

The underlying principle in the WTO is based on the economic philosophy of laissez-faire, which privileges the powerful companies and corporations. Thus, Young Progressive for Southeast Asia (YPSEA), stands for the following reforms in the WTO:

1) We call for a reform in the WTO negotiation process and also demand the involvement of International Labor Organization (ILO) during the negotiation to safeguard the benefit of workers.

2) WTO should uphold the platform for fair trade, not a free trade. The implementation of lower tariffs will only lead to a ‘race to the bottom’ and a weakened role of the state in solving internal economic problem.

3) Members of WTO should be aware that each region and each country is developed in an uneven manner. The negotiation in each WTO Ministerial meeting had excluded many industrial sectors such as small farmers, small-medium enterprise (SME), workers and many others, who do not have sustainable jobs and do not benefited from growth. The negotiation should not only concern the profits and losses of big corporations but also the welfare of the people and development.

4) All the agreements should be done based on democratic principles.

5) We call upon the governments of Southeast Asian countries to unite and negotiate the trade issues based on the welfare and interests of its citizens.

Hence, YPSEA believes that negotiations should be built upon an equal platform and the result of negotiations should benefit all member countries.