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["michael a. lebowitz" <mlebowit@xxxxxx>]

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Dear all,

Please find below a brief statement we have written in light of the latest
developments at the WTO regarding services negotiations. We are concerned
that the four countries which are strongly resisting the push for a deal
in services are being isolated and pressure is being brought to bear on
them to agree to a deal. The services chair is attempting to push through
a report (including paragraph 4) as a consensus text despite members'
vocal opposition.

Please circulate this to your networks as we are hoping to get as many
signatures as possible in a short time to be able to present to
negotiators and the media. Please send endorsements to David Robinson at
robinson@xxxxxxx <mailto:robinson@xxxxxxx>.

Signed,
Members of OWINFS GATS working group in Geneva.

STATEMENT REGARDING DEVELOPMENTS IN SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS IN THE WTO

We the undersigned civil society organisations are concerned that the
current WTO negotiations in services are based on a draft text which
substantially undermines and contradicts the previously agreed right of
developing countries to choose whether or not they wish to engage in
negotiations over their services sectors.

We fear that in what appears to be this final push to make the Doha round
succeed, GATS negotiators will suddenly be compelled to make offers in
inequitable exchanges for concessions made in areas of agriculture and
NAMA.  This would also mean that GATS negotiations would be extremely
rushed in comparison with the negotiations on agriculture and NAMA, while
the demands from the rich countries might have very complex, costly and
negative consequences in many developing countries.

We applaud the efforts of Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba and Nicaragua to
safeguard the right of people to have access to basic human rights such as
water, education, health, and other services that are vital to be able to
live life in dignity. We encourage other countries to support their
efforts and not give in to the interests of foreign-based international
corporations who seek to put profit before people. We remind our
governments that protecting access to these services is a legal obligation
and not a bargaining chip.

We are also alarmed that the current negotiations are taking place in a
context in which most WTO countries are simply spectators in a process
that will profoundly affect them and their people.

As civil society organizations who witness every day the dire consequences
of the lack of access to services which are basic human rights, we
strongly believe that their place is not at the bargaining table of the
WTO, and they should be excluded from these talks.

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