AGENDA #11

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Council Member Brown

Coalition Opposing the World Trade Organization

                       

SUBJECT:       World Trade Organization Resolution

DATE:             June 12, 2000

The attached World Trade Organization (WTO) Resolution was developed working with Seth Landau and others of the coalition opposing the WTO.  Also attached is an article from Rachel’s Environment & Health Weekly addressing the WTO, entitled, “Steps Toward a Corporate State,” which provides further information.

We have already felt the effects of this powerful organization locally when our own Burma ban was challenged.  While the challenge to Chapel Hill’s ban did not come directly from the TWO, it is related, as shown in Rachel’s newsletter.   Member governments of the WTO had already filed complaints with the WTO about the Massachusetts Burma law, which is similar to Chapel Hill’s ban.  However, 550 U.S. corporations acted against Massachusetts in the courts first.

We hope that the Chapel Hill Town Council will pass the attached resolution.    

ATTACHMENTS

1.  Rachel’s Environment & Health Weekly #694 (p. 3)

A RESOLUTION BY THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL REQUESTING THAT THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  (WTO) NEGOTIATIONS THAT INCLUDE PUBLIC HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, SOCIAL SERVICES, GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS (2000-06-12/R-17)

WHEREAS, health care, education, social services, and government procurement are to be included as items of the negotiations at future WTO meetings; and

WHEREAS, the intent of the negotiations is ultimately to restrict the ability of all levels of government to use government procurement to further economic development of our communities; and

WHEREAS, this will multiply the profits of multi-national corporations while drastically reducing the quality and accessibility of health, education, and social services to all Americans; and

WHEREAS, states and municipalities would be bound by the terms of any new WTO agreement covering services and government procurement, while they are not a part of the negotiations; and

WHEREAS, threat of WTO action has already compromised the sovereignty of the State of Massachusetts in not allowing the state to stop purchasing from companies supporting the oppression of the country formerly known as Burma; and

WHEREAS, the United States became a member of the WTO with the adoption of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) without a full public debate and two-thirds majority in the Senate as required by the Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the WTO is undemocratic, non-transparent, unaccountable, and operates to entrench the rights of corporations while restricting the rights of governments and their citizens without any realistic possibility of appeal;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Chapel Hill Town Council immediately requests that the Federal Government refuse to participate in any WTO negotiations that include public health, education, social services, government procurement, and environmental regulations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council forward a copy of this resolution to its Legislative Delegation to the N.C. General Assembly, the Orange County Commissioners, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, and the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners and requests that these governments, in turn, forward their concerns to the United States Congress through the Fourth District Congressional Representative and the two North Carolina Senators.

This the 12th day of June, 2000.