Las ONG presentaron quejas formales ante funcionarios de la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC) y las principales naciones miembros en el primer día de la 13ª Conferencia Ministerial (CM13) de la OMC en Abu Dabi, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, debido a la eliminación no anunciada e inédita de los derechos de la sociedad civil a la libertad de expresión y expresión política en lo que se promociona como el proceso más «abierto, transparente e inclusivo» de la OMC.
En anteriores conferencias ministeriales de la OMC, se permitió a los participantes de la sociedad civil distribuir información y análisis, tomar fotos, mostrar pancartas y participar en otras formas de compromiso, pero la cumbre de comercio mundial en Abu Dabi ha experimentado hasta ahora lo siguiente:
1. Durante el discurso plenario del Director General de la OMC sobre «inclusión», el Sr. K.V. Biju, un líder agrícola de la India y representante acreditado de una ONG, estaba frente a la Sala 9 y vio a un periodista que conocía. Compartió con él una carta de los agricultores indios. Fue agarrado por un miembro de seguridad, cacheado y llevado a una sala donde lo retuvieron durante casi dos horas.
2. Deborah James, facilitadora de la red de la sociedad civil Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS), fue informada por el Jefe de Relaciones Externas de la OMC de que los funcionarios de seguridad emiratíes han dicho que las pancartas y manifestaciones están prohibidas, y cualquier persona que reparta folletos estará sujeta a arresto. No está claro qué se incluye en la distribución de folletos: ¿la distribución de artículos, comunicados de prensa, informes, folletos?
3. Los funcionarios de seguridad el día anterior quitaron carteles tamaño A3 sin explicación. Además, se impidió a las personas repartir comunicados de prensa.
4. El día de la apertura, se informó a los grupos de la sociedad civil que no podían tomar fotos dentro o fuera del edificio, cuando incluso la presentación informativa en PowerPoint de la OMC dice que se permite filmar y fotografiar en áreas públicas de la conferencia.
5. Ninguna de estas restricciones se incluyó en la presentación informativa en PowerPoint de la OMC con anticipación.
6. En actividades anteriores de la OMC, a los grupos de la sociedad civil nunca se les dijo qué no decir ni qué no hacer.
7. Los grupos de la sociedad civil enviaron una carta (pegada a continuación) a la Directora General hoy mismo, instándola a abordar estos problemas con urgencia. Aún no hemos recibido respuesta.
26 de febrero de 2024
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Directora General
Organización Mundial del Comercio
Estimada Dra. Ngozi:
Somos representantes de la sociedad civil acreditados para asistir a la 13ª Conferencia Ministerial de la Organización Mundial del Comercio y escribimos con graves preocupaciones sobre nuestra capacidad para participar efectivamente en este proceso.
En otras organizaciones internacionales de gobernabilidad, los observadores de ONG son bienvenidos en las deliberaciones y se les permite hacer intervenciones registradas. La OMC ha fallado en gran medida en este aspecto, pero el silenciamiento que hemos experimentado hasta ahora en Abu Dabi es impactante, incluso considerando el bajo nivel que la OMC ha establecido.
El 25 de febrero, varios representantes acreditados de ONG entraron al edificio ADNEC para distribuir información a los delegados fuera del evento de Facilitación de Inversiones. Sin embargo, inmediatamente después de pasar por seguridad, fueron detenidos y registrados por la policía local. Se les quitaron sus documentos, fueron detenidos y luego escoltados fuera del recinto. A un grupo separado que distribuía un comunicado de prensa también se le pidió que se retirara.
Otro colega fue impedido de ingresar a la conferencia debido a una prenda de vestir tradicional que fue rechazada como políticamente sensible y potencialmente afectaría la seguridad de la conferencia, a pesar de que la invitación oficial enviada a los participantes los invita a usar su vestimenta nacional.
Incluso antes de la conferencia ministerial, a dos colegas de Nigeria se les negaron visas sin explicación.
El 26 de febrero, a las ONG no se les permitió asistir a la ceremonia de apertura. Parece que los reporteros estaban retenidos en la zona restringida y, por lo tanto, no pudieron asistir a nuestro evento de prensa programado. La imposición de áreas restringidas también nos ha impedido reunirnos con reporteros en la zona de prensa y utilizar instalaciones de la OMC que generalmente están disponibles, como fotocopiadoras.
Somos representantes de movimientos populares, agricultores de pequeña escala, pescadores, líderes sindicales. Hemos viajado aquí desde Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bélgica, Bolivia, Gambia, Alemania, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenia, Países Bajos, Noruega, Nueva Zelanda, Pakistán, Filipinas, España, Uganda y Zimbabue para hablar en nombre de millones de personas en esta reunión de la institución de toma de decisiones económicas más grande del mundo. Las comunidades que se verán afectadas por las decisiones de la OMC deben poder participar en este proceso. La OMC habla de inclusividad, sin embargo, lo que hemos visto hasta ahora sugiere que nuestras voces serán silenciadas durante toda esta conferencia ministerial. Esperamos que usted, como Directora General, garantice que haya espacio para que se escuchen voces críticas en la conferencia ministerial misma.
Esto continúa un patrón preocupante de represión de la libertad de expresión en las conferencias ministeriales de la OMC. Será consciente del daño causado a la credibilidad de la OMC cuando decenas de ONG registradas tuvieron sus visas revocadas y otras fueron rechazadas en el aeropuerto en la CM11 en Buenos Aires. En la CM12, las ONG registradas fueron acosadas por la policía de Ginebra y la seguridad de la OMC simplemente por usar camisetas con mensajes pacíficos.
Existe el riesgo de que la situación en la CM13 sea aún más controvertida y perjudicial para la credibilidad de la organización y para su credibilidad como Directora General, a menos que este asunto se aborde y resuelva ahora.
Además, es totalmente inaceptable que la OMC y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos inviten a personas a esta conferencia sin pautas claras de lo que se va a permitir. Eso no solo desperdicia nuestro tiempo y dinero, sino que, lo que es más importante, pone a las personas en un riesgo significativo de violar reglas de las que no están advertidas, con consecuencias personales potencialmente graves. Aunque apreciamos que brindará información a la sociedad civil, eso, por supuesto, no es un acceso suficiente y no aborda las barreras para la participación. Los resultados de la CM13 solo podrán abordar los problemas de preocupación para la sociedad civil si se nos permite participar de manera efectiva.
Es responsabilidad de la organización, al asignar esta conferencia ministerial a Abu Dabi, asegurar que se respeten los derechos de los participantes. Le instamos a abordar estos problemas con urgencia.
Atentamente,
Deborah James
Facilitadora, Red Global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS)
En nombre de nuestros miembros
Original: NGOs Call for Free Speech to be Restored at WTO Ministerial in UAE
NGOs filed formal complaints with World Trade Organization (WTO) officials and key Member nations on the first day of the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, due to the unannounced and unprecedented removal of civil society’s rights to freedom of speech and political expression at what is being billed as WTO’s most “open, transparent and inclusive process“ ever.
Previous WTO ministerials have allowed civil society participants to distribute information and analyses, take photos, display banners, and other forms of engagement, but Abu Dhabi’s world trade summit has so far seen:
1. During the WTO Director General’s plenary speech on “inclusion”, Mr. K.V. Biju, a farmer leader from India and accredited NGO representative was in front of Room 9 and saw a journalist he knew and shared a letter with him from Indian farmers. He was grabbed by a security person, frisked, and taken to a room where he was held for close to two hours.
2. Deborah James, facilitator of civil society network Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS), was told by the Head of External Relations of the WTO that the Emirati security officials have said that banners and demonstrations are banned, and anyone leafleting will be subject to arrest. It is not clear what leafleting includes: distributing of articles, press releases, reports, flyers?
3. Security officials the previous day took away A3 posters without explanation. Also, people were stopped from handing out press releases.
4. On opening day, civil society groups were told that we could not take photos inside or outside of the building, when even the WTO’s informational Powerpoint presentation says that filming and photography in public areas of the conference are allowed.
5. None of these restrictions were included in the WTO’s informative Powerpoint presentation in advance.
6. At previous WTO activities, civil society groups have never been told what not to say and what not to do.
7. Civil society groups sent a letter (pasted below) to the Director General earlier today, calling on her to address these issues as a matter of urgency. We have yet to receive a response.
The current degree of repression of policy advocacy work has never happened before inside a WTO conference. It is the obligation of the WTO to ensure that the rules of the WTO regarding advocacy, free association and free speech are upheld in the venue of their meetings as part of basic transparency. It is the responsibility of the WTO to ensure that MC13 can be undertaken in a transparent and inclusive manner.
Fikerman Saragih, from The People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) said: “As a representative of 2.4 million fisherfolks and 3.9 million fisherwomen in Indonesia, I have come to MC13 to make their voices heard, but these unacceptable and unprecedented restrictions on peaceful activities by civil society organizations at MC13 have silenced us.”
Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey stated: «I have been to many WTO ministerials and have never encountered such a determination to silence critical voices. The WTO must and will be held accountable for its decision to hold the MC13 here without securing guarantees that independent civil society can be heard. It exposes the presence of ‘inclusivity’ for what it is – a public relations sham to gloss over the reality of power politics in the WTO, both inside and out.»
Rodolfo Lahoy from IBON International, said: «Economic rights cannot be fulfilled without the active voices of civil society and social movements. Any rhetoric of development or sustainability the WTO is fundamentally incoherent and impossible if civil society voices, especially from the South, cannot even raise the concerns and narratives of their peoples and constituencies. No development for us, without us.»
Victor Menotti, from Demand Climate Justice, said: «The UAE hosted UNFCCC’s COP28 only three months ago and so is very, very familiar with the international standards of civil society participation, freedom of speech and political expression established at global summits for rule-making, yet Abu Dhabi appears to be paranoid about any critical analyses of proposed WTO decisions that will impact million of peoples lives beyond its borders.»
Civil society calls on WTO members to insist that civic spaces be respected, and that we are allowed to perform civil society’s roles and pursue its modalities of engagement, including being able to have peaceful demonstrations, display banners, and give out flyers and information to delegates and press.
We similarly call on the WTO to insist with the host government that the rules of the WTO regarding advocacy, free association and free speech are upheld in the venue of their meetings. This is the responsibility of the WTO to ensure that this meeting can be undertaken in a transparent and inclusive manner. #
***
26 February, 2024
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Director General
World Trade Organization
Dear Dr. Ngozi:
We are civil society representatives accredited to attend the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference writing with serious concerns about our ability to effectively participate in this process.
At other international governance organizations, NGO observers are welcomed into deliberations and permitted to make interventions on the record. The WTO has long fallen short in this regard, but the silencing we have experienced thus far in Abu Dhabi is shocking even by the low bar the WTO has set.
On 25 February, several accredited NGO representatives entered the ADNEC building to distribute information to delegates outside the Investment Facilitation event. But immediately after being permitted through security, they were stopped and searched by local police. Their papers were taken away, they were detained and then escorted off the premises. A separate group distributing a press release was similarly asked to leave.
Another colleague was prevented from entering the conference due to a traditional piece of clothing that was rejected as politically sensitive and potentially affecting the security of the conference, even though the official invitation sent to participants invites them to wear their national dress.
Even before the ministerial, two colleagues from Nigeria were denied visas without explanation.
On 26 February, NGOs were not permitted to attend the opening ceremony. It seems that reporters were held in the restricted area and thus unable to attend our scheduled press event. The imposition of restricted areas has also prevented us from meeting with reporters in the press area and using WTO facilities usually available, such as photocopiers.
We are representatives of people’s movements, small-scale farmers, fisherfolk, union leaders. We have traveled here from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Spain, Uganda, and Zimbabwe to speak on behalf of millions of people at this meeting of the world’s largest economic rule-making institution. The communities that will be affected by WTO decisions must be permitted to participate in this process. The WTO talks of inclusivity, yet what we have seen to date suggests our voices will be silenced throughout this ministerial. We expect you, as the Director-General, to ensure there is space for critical voices to be heard in the ministerial itself.
This continues a concerning pattern of suppression on free speech at WTO ministerial conferences. You will be aware of the damage that was caused to the WTO’s credibility when dozens of registered NGOs had their visas rescinded, and others were turned away at the airport at the MC11 in Buenos Aires. At MC12, registered NGOs were harassed by Geneva police and WTO security for simply wearing t-shirts with peaceful messages.
There is a risk that the situation at MC13 will be even more controversial and damaging to the organization’s credibility and to your credibility as the Director-General unless this matter is addressed and resolved now.
Moreover, it is totally unacceptable for the WTO and UAE to invite people to this conference without any clear guidelines of what is going to be permissible. That not only wastes our time and money, but more importantly puts people at significant risk of violating rules they are not forewarned of, with potentially serious personal consequences. While we appreciate that you will be briefing civil society, that is of course not sufficient access and does not address the barriers to participation. The outcomes of MC13 can only address the issues of concern to civil society if we are enabled to engage effectively.
It is the organization’s responsibility in allocating this ministerial to Abu Dhabi to ensure that participants’ rights will be respected. We call on you to address these issues as a matter of urgency.
Signed,
Deborah James
Facilitator, Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) global network
on behalf of our members
www.ourworldisnotforsale.net
