World Trade Organization Hong Kong negotiations a step backward for development

February 7, 2006

Members of the Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment reflecting on the Central American Free Trade Agreement at a prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C., last year. Photo: M. Shupack/CWS

Church World Service is a member of the Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment. The Interfaith Working Group is committed to asserting a stronger presence of the faith community in public policy decisions on international trade and investment. Based in Washington, D.C., the group is made up of representatives of a range of faith-based organizations including several CWS member denominations. The group is co-chaired by CWS Associate Director for Public Policy Martin Shupack.

In 2004, CWS co-sponsored an ecumenical consultation on the negative impact of globalization on people, churches and the environment. Since then it has co-sponsored workshops on alternatives to privatization of water supplies and advocated for trade polices based on a Biblical vision of the economy of God.

According to CWS Education & Advocacy Director Rajyashri Waghray, the December 2005 meeting of the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong was “a lost opportunity to address the development needs of even the poorest of poor countries.”

Read more about the latest round of WTO negotiations and the Interfaith Working Group’s response at http://www.tradejusticeusa.org/action/iwg-wto-statement.htm .