What are the problems with world trade that NGOs have identified?

Question

NGOs = Non-Government Organisation

need to know asap!!

Answer 1

This deserves a longer answer but basicaly: The most common concern from NGO's is the impact of world trade agreements on small producers which most often they defend/represent and feel that they will not benefit. Trade agreements are usually about the bigger industries, growers. So the sales pitch for "new opportunities" is not convincing. On the other hand some jobs are created but often located near the big cities or ports thus a concern for immigration from the country side which in the developping world a social problem, this will be China's biggest headache very soon.

Answer 2

Agreement on Agriculture - reducing tariffs on agricultural imports, thus losing the business of the agricultural sector. Though the quality of agricultural products are competitive in the local market, consumers prefer to buy imports because it is much cheaper and the quality is not good.

Trade Related Aspect on Intellectual Property Rights - NGOs and even the church is against on this. Under the world trade organization, individual or private companies are allowed to patent life forms.

My examples and its explanation is very limited but you could try checking this sites. .http://www.grain.org and www.masipag.org. I wish this would be helpful.

Answer 3

Key Problems

    * World Trade Organization (WTO) rules apply to over 90 percent of international trade.

    * The 1995 replacement of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) by the WTO heightened concern among critics because its stronger enforcement powers represent a further shift in power from citizens and national governments to a global authority run by unelected bureaucrats.

    * The most controversial outcomes of the Uruguay Round were the establishment of much stronger enforcement mechanisms in the WTO.

Key Recommendations

    * The U.S. should re-examine its support for expansion of WTO powers into the investment realm.

    * The U.S. should argue more ardently the case for Worker Rights group as part of the WTO, since it is a necessary precondition to a serious discussion of how core international worker rights could be incorporated into the international trading system.

    * The original proposal for a International Trade Organization, which placed employment issues and corporate behavior on the agenda, should be reconsidered.*

Answer 4

You wouldn't happen to be just doing that assignment now, would you, Jess? ;p