WTO talks collapse signal globalisation crisis

"The collapse of the WTO talks in Cancun today signals a deepening globalisation crisis with serious implications for world peace" the President of the CTU Ross Wilson said today,

The CTU has been represented on the New Zealand Government delegation to Cancun by the CTU economist Peter Conway.

"The WTO Conference collapsed today because of the its failure to tackle the needs of developing countries or to confront the social problems of trade" Peter Conway said.

"The collapse of yet another WTO Conference has further undermined the credibility of the WTO" he said "This crisis will continue as long as WTO members refuse to tackle development, poverty, employment, and workers rights.

"And it is more than a crisis of the trading system; it is a crisis of global governance" Peter Conway said.

"The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) is calling on world leaders to reflect on the social vacuum at the heart of the multilateral system and to show leadership at the highest level."

The NZCTU is affiliated to the ICFTU which represents 158 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories.

Read more:
from the ICFTU
from the Cancun Independent Media Centre