*apologies for cross-postings*
OPEN INVITATION
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Regional Trade Strategy Meeting
The Battle of Hong Kong Continues
February 28 =AD March 1, 2006
Bangkok, Thailand=20
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At the 6th Ministerial of the World Trade Organization last December =
2005,
the big trading superpowers with the help of Brasil and India, were able =
to
pull out a deal at the last minute, which, if fully implemented, will be
severely detrimental to the majority of the world=B9s peoples. The deal =
in
Hong Kong has given the multilateral institution new momentum and if
unchallenged, the WTO will be able to conclude the Doha Development =
Round by
the end of 2006. And the first major opportunity for us to affect these
negotiations is at the next General Council Meeting in Geneva this May =
2006.
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But even before the General Council, there is a lot of work to be done, =
at
the national, regional and international levels, including organizing =
around
the April 30 deadline for the Agriculture and non-agricultural market =
access
(NAMA) negotiations.
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Regional Trade Strategy Meeting
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It is with this urgency that we are organizing a Regional Trade Strategy
Meeting this February 28 to March 1, 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. The date =
and
venue is timed to take advantage of the presence of several regional and
international organizations and movements in Bangkok who will be =
attending
the planning meeting for the World Social Forum-Asia in Thailand.
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This Regional Trade Strategy Meeting is envisioned to be a re-grouping =
of
the movements and coalitions after the Hong Kong Ministerial to discuss =
and
analyze the results of the Ministerial and to plot the next steps =
forward in
order to prevent the bad deal from Hong Kong from being implemented and =
the
Round from being concluded at the end of 2006. This meeting also aims to
strengthen the alliances among the groups and movements in the region.
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This meeting follows from the previous successful regional meetings in
Bangkok in 2003 and 2004 and also follows on the success of other region
wide meetings in 2005 such as the Colombo meeting and the strategy =
meeting
in Busan, Korea. This meeting hopes to continue this regional process =
and
strengthen it.=20
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This meeting is open to all trade activists, organizations, movements =
and
national and regional coalitions. The organizers however, unfortunately
cannot provide any support for travel assistance or local accommodation.
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ORGANIZERS=20
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This meeting is jointly organized by:
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Assembly of the Poor, Thailand
ATTAC Japan
Focus on the Global South
FSPI, Indonesia
FTA Watch Thailand
Globalization Monitor, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) Institute for Global
Justice, Indonesia Jubilee South/ Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and
Development (APMDD) Kilusang Mangingisda (KM) Migrant Forum in Asia Stop =
the
New Round! Coalition, Philippines Via Campesina, South Asia Womyn=B9s =
Agenda
for Change, Cambodia
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ENDORSERS
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This meeting is also endorsed by:
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Equations
Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
Korean Peoples Action Against WTO and FTA (KoPA) National Forum of =
Forest
People and Forest Workers (India)
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To endorse this meeting or for more information, please contact:
Mary Lou Malig of Focus on the Global South: marylou@focusweb.org
Anoop Sukumaran
Focus on the Global South
CUSRI, Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok
Thailand
Ph: (66 2) 2187365
Fax: (66 2) 2559976
http://www.focusweb.org