The Seattle Debacle: What happened and what next?

THE dramatic collapse of the Third WTO Ministerial talks at Seattle in December must surely be regarded as one of the most significant events of the closing decade of the last millennium. While the immediate cause of the collapse was the inability of the US and the EU to bridge their differences, the most important factor was the refusal of developing countries to be bullied. It was, however, civil society (especially the street protests) that made Seattle and the WTO world news.We present reports and analyses on the Seattle Ministerial.

• Seattle WTO Ministerial ends in failure (C.Raghavan/SUNS)
  The seething discontent of many developing countries at being sidelined from the decision-making process, coupled with unbridgeable differences among the parties, brought about the collapse of the WTO Ministerial Conference at Seattle. With the major powers determined to find 'creative ways' to salvage the Ministerial's work, it is clear they are intent on continuing their secretive and exclusive decision-making practices which ultimately wrecked the Seattle Conference. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• A theatre of the absurd at Seattle (C.Raghavan/SUNS)
  Delegates to the Third WTO Ministerial Conference had not only to endure the chaotic organisational arrangements that characterised the Seattle meet, but also to contend with the manipulative manoeuvrings by the North at the Conference. In the following article, Chakravarthi Raghavan provides a vivid account of the frenzied, but in the end futile, efforts by the North to push through a deal. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• Dirty tactics in Seattle (T.Hormeku)
  Tetteh Hormeku reports on the bitter experience of many of the African delegations who were the targets of manipulation by the powerful countries at the Seattle Conference. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• Africa, Caribbean and Latin American regions protest non-transparency, threaten walkout
  WTO members from the Latin American and Caribbean region, and African members, in separate statements on 2 December night, protested the host country's tactics and the way the negotiations were being conducted at the Ministerial Conference. We publish above the protest statements issued by the respective trade ministers. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• Developing countries assail WTO 'dictatorship' (A.Aslam)
  Developing countries were scathing in their criticism of the manipulation of the Seattle Conference by the major trading powers and the meeting's total lack of transparency. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• Initiate reform of WTO, says G77 chairman (M.Khor/TWN)
  Developing countries have been urged to use the breathing space afforded by the collapse of the Seattle Ministerial negotiations to push for reform of the WTO. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• NGOs unimpressed with 'dialogue' and transparency attempt (C.Oh/TWN)
  Instead of addressing public criticisms against the WTO, an official pre-conference symposium turned out to be 'less of a dialogue and more of a lecture' on the benefits of a comprehensive new round of multilateral trade negotiations. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• Developing nations reject labour issues in WTO (C.Raghavan/SUNS)
  Attempts by the US and the EU at the Seattle Ministerial to bring the issue of labour standards within the ambit of the WTO were met with a strong rebuff by the developing countries. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• Building up on Seattle after stopping the steamroller (B.L.Das)
  The unprecedented stiff resistance of the developing countries at Seattle to the moves by the major trading powers to push through their agenda has perhaps been the most striking development in the recent history of multilateral trade negotiations. A leading international trade expert examines the circumstances which have brought about this new resolution among the developing countries. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• NGOs voice their views at Seattle
  Seattle will be remembered for the protests, activism and voices of hundreds of NGOs and social movements. Their presence was very much felt in the dramatic street demonstrations that captured the imagination of the world; in the many workshops, 'Teach-Ins' and strategy sessions they organised in parallel to the official Conference; and in the WTO Conference itself where they talked to delegates and held impromptu press conferences. Above, we reproduce extracts of statements and other documents issued by some of the NGOs. They provide a flavour of the views voiced by civil society at Seattle. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• The WTO - an 'unruly' rules-based organisation?(C.Raghavan/SUNS)
  The WTO Ministerial in Seattle came to an abrupt end on 3 December, amidst great confusion over whether the Ministerial had been terminated or suspended. The confusion was compounded when, subsequent to this, the WTO Director-General convened a special session of the WTO General Council as a followup to the Seattle meeting. Although the Council, when it met on 17 December, implicitly agreed that the Ministerial had ended, the failure of a rules-based organisation to strictly observe legal processes is bound to affect its credibility. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)
  

• What next after WTO 'failure'? (P.Smikle)
  The general reaction among the Caribbean nations is one of relief rather than dismay that the Seattle WTO trade talks collapsed. The primary objective now appears to be to ensure that the time gained is used to push for the concerns of the Caribbean countries. (Third World Resurgence No. 112/113, Dec 99/Jan 00)