May 20th, 1998

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Fishing boat in the Waddensea, Netherlands
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GENEVA, Switzerland -- The two conservation organizations WWF and
Greenpeace today urged immediate action to heed calls made by world
leaders at the WTO ministerial conference for urgent environmental
reforms, openness and transparency within the WTO.
"We will be looking for concrete results within the next six months on
increased transparency and environmental reform at the WTO," said Mrs
Sabina Voogd, in charge of Treaties and Conventions in Greenpeace
International. "Lack of progress in the WTO's Committee on Trade and
Environment during the last four years has now been publicly
acknowledged. Our biggest concern is that fine words should not mask
inaction."
Greenpeace and WWF call on WTO members to allow NGOs to submit
'amicus briefs' before the Appellate Body hearing on the recent
Shrimp-Turtle dispute, as proposed by President Clinton. This requires
only a liberal interpretation of existing WTO rules and can be achieved
within weeks.
"The European Commission must back the US call as the indispensable
first step to genuine environmental reform in the WTO," said said Charles
Arden-Clarke, Head of WWF International's Trade and Investment Unit.
"We call on Mr. Blair, who made the environment number one priority for
the WTO, to join the US in encouraging other WTO Member States to
support these transparency proposals."
The other crucial test will be following up the proposal to hold a High
Level Meeting on Trade and Environment.
"This high level meeting must happen in the next six months," said Mr
Arden-Clarke. "The United States and the European Union, who made the
proposal, must actively seek wider support within the WTO for their
initiative. Unless they do this, NGOs will not believe their sincerity."

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Wheat farming in Hungary
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The two environmental organizations stressed the need for any further
trade liberalization moves in the WTO to be accompanied by simultaneous
environmental assessments. These should focus on ecologically
sensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries.
"The proposed WTO reforms will be meaningless unless environmental
concerns are fully integrated into WTO's mainstream activities," said Mrs
Voogd. "NGOs will oppose further liberalization efforts in the WTO until
such policy integration is implemented."
Contact:
Charles Arden-Clarke at 079 326 8762 or
Sabina Voogd at +41 22 734 3003 or
Someshwar Singh at 079 310 8102