Eg sende denne meldinga laurdag, men ho kom ikkje gjennom av tekniske
årsaker:
Etter alle demonstrasjonane og den aukande motstanden i mange land, har no
WTO no bestemt seg for å "flykte" til Qatar. Dette blei "einstemmig"
vedteke på eit "uformelt møte" i Genève den 23, januar. Det neste
ministermøtet i organisasjonen skal gå av stabelen 5.-9. november i Doha,
hovudstaden i emiratet Qatar. Den offisielle avgjerda blir teken 30.
januar.
Emiratet Qatar er, saman med dei andre føydalstatane rundt Gulfen, kjend
for manglande demokrati og sivile rettar.Det finst ingen møte- og
organisasjonsrett, ingen pressefridom, ikkje fleirpartisystem eller rett
til å opprette fagforeiningar.
Doha, manglar losjeringsplass, og offisielle gjester og journalistar, nøye
sorterte (ved hjelp av pengebidrag), kjem til å overnatte på hotel og i
private residensar. Elles vil cruiseskip liggja for anker eit godt stykke
ut frå land, for å ta imot nøye utvalde NGO'ar. Dette hindrar sjølvsagt
alle tilløp til demonstrasjon og protest, og føyer seg inn i det
perspektivet eg trakk fram i eit tidlegare innlegg denne veka
("Nasjonalstaten og det globale").
Oddmund Garvik
Frå Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/01/qatar0123.htm
<<<<<<<
WTO Sends Wrong Message with Qatar Choice
(New York January 23, 2001) Human Rights Watch called on the World Trade
Organization's General Council to reverse the decision announced today
that the WTO will hold its next ministerial meeting in the Persian Gulf
state of Qatar. The selection of Qatar, reportedly made in an informal
meeting earlier today, is slated to be confirmed when the General
Council meets in Geneva on January 30.
"The WTO has selected a country for its next summit where freedom of
assembly is nonexistent," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of
Human Rights Watch. "This looks like an effort to avoid the noisy
demonstrations of the past year by picking a country that bans
demonstrations. The WTO should be striving to build the global
economy on a foundation of respect for such basic human rights--not
hiding behind governments that systematically violate those rights."
Human Rights Watch wrote to WTO Director-General Mike Moore on
January 19, urging that the fourth WTO ministerial meeting scheduled
for later this year be convened in a country where freedom of assembly
and association are guaranteed in law and practice, and where
internationally recognized standards of due process are firmly in place.
In remarks to the press today, Mr. Moore said that non-governmental
organizations previously accredited by the WTO would have access to
Qatar, although he made no pledge about the right to peaceful
assembly. Mr. Moore said, "We have a set of conditions for
non-governmental organizations and the media. These haven't changed.
This will be very successful and I can assure journalists and others they
will be splendidly looked after."
"These assurances are irrelevant for representatives of NGOs not formally
accredited by the WTO, but who want to make their voices heard during the
meeting," said Roth.
"Whether the WTO agrees with these groups or not, it should make sure that
their right to be heard is respected."
Qatar is not a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, the international treaty that guarantees basic freedoms of
expression, assembly and association along with due process protections.
Qatar also is not a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Consular
Relations -- nor to any other bilateral or multilateral consular accord --
which raises serious issues in cases of detention of foreign nationals,
Human Rights Watch said.
>>>>>>>
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