Скачать с ютуб USA: 50-THOUSAND ACTIVISTS EXPECTED AT W-T-O MEETING (2) в хорошем качестве

USA: 50-THOUSAND ACTIVISTS EXPECTED AT W-T-O MEETING (2)

(30 Nov 1999) English/Nat As an estimated 50-thousand protesters gear up to lobby the World Trade Organisation summit in the American city of Seattle, U-S President Bill Clinton has said the demonstrators have a right to be heard. He told reporters before leaving Washington for this week's conference that he is sympathetic to the labour and environmental groups who are protesting. The anti-W-T-O activists have interests ranging from Tibetan rights to sea turtles and are dubbing the meeting "The Battle in Seattle" or "Carnival against Capitalism." At issue is the Geneva-based W-T-O's sweeping power to enforce international trade agreements, and protesters' belief that the organisation places profit ahead of human rights and environmental concerns. Trade ministers from a hundred and 35 nations will attend the four-day conference which formally opens Tuesday. Some activists have said they will lie down in roads and chain themselves to railings. They also plan to attempt to shut down the W-T-O by clogging up streets so delegates can't reach the meeting hall. Religious organisations scheduled prayer services and a "nonviolent human chain". Others dressed up as turtles, claiming W-T-O policies are directly harming wildlife and habitat. The Geneva-based W-T-O sets global rules for trading among its member nations. But the protesters clearly see it as a global menace favouring multinational corporations over ordinary people and the environment. President Clinton said he believed the protestors had a right to make themselves heard. Speaking in Washington before departing for the W-T-O summit he outlined what he hoped would come out the meeting. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Well I hope we'll get a new round launched that will slash tariffs and other trade barriers in agriculture and other areas. I hope that we will agree to keep e-commerce free of unusual burdens and that we will lead to more transparent and open rules among nations so that they believe the trading system is fair. I also strongly, strongly believe that we should open the process up to all those people who are now demonstrating on the outside." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, US President But the image of the World Trade Organisation portrayed by the protesters is one the W-T-O secretary general Mike Moore was keen to dispel when he opened proceedings inside the Seattle conference hall. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The WTO is not a world government, a global policeman, or an agent for corporate interests. It has no authority to tell countries what trade policies, or any other policies, they should adopt. It does not overrule national laws. It does not force countries to kill turtles, or lower wages, or employ children in factories. Put simply the WTO is not a super-national government and no one has any intention of making it one." SUPER CAPTION: Mike Moore, Director General, World Trade Organisation And other representatives were also keen to show a more humane approach to their business. The U-S Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky, promised to listen more to N-G-Os and went on to stress the need to raise living standards in developing nations. The European Union trade commissioner, Pascal Lamy, also reflected on this when he said the W-T-O needed to confront difficult questions. SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Charlene Barshefsky, US Trade Representative SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Pascal Lamy, European Union trade commissioner SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Martin Cole, Third World Network Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...