As World Trade Organisation talks (WTO) enter the final phase in Doha, they remain gridlocked over a number of
important issues. Canada is chairing one of the committees that is the most divisive: investment issues.

“The WTO meeting is in trouble,” said Greenpeace Canada campaigns director Jo Dufay. “After the collapse of the Seattle talks, the stakes are
high and the pressure great to avoid another failure. We could be looking at a bad agreement with very little content as a result.”

The remaining issues highlight the deep rift between developed and developing countries. These include market access to goods from developing
countries, agricultural subsidies and the environment. Late Monday Doha time, it appeared an agreement had been reached on the divisive issue of
patents for pharmaceutical drugs.

Canadian Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew is calling for a new development round, which Greenpeace opposes. “His idea of a development round is
to get rich first and worry about the planet later. Too bad you can’t buy back the environment,” said Dufay.

Canada was dumped as head of the environment committee at the WTO after Greenpeace objected a country with such an extreme record of
favouring trade agreements over environmental ones was leading the delicate discussions. Chile replaced Canada, which was then put in charge of
investment talks.

“The European Union has strongly called for clarifying WTO rules relating to environment and trade. But Canada’s missing in action again,” said
Dufay, who noted talks to protect the environment against trade rules are going badly. Yesterday, the WTO decided not to include the environment
in the talks, which she said meant the continued supremacy of trade agreements over the environment.

She also criticised Pettigrew’s call for a new development round, which is presented as a way to help mend the rift between developed and
developing nations.

“Pettigrew’s calls for a new development round are hypocrisy,” said Dufay. “The world’s poorest countries don’t want to talk about liberalising
investment or government procurement or competition policies. They want to talk about their ability to control their economic destiny. It’s absolute
hypocrisy for Pettigrew to call for a development round, while simultaneously fighting against the wishes of developing countries.”

Dufay is part of the Greenpeace delegation in Qatar. Its flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, is anchored in Doha Harbour, where it is doubling as a
radio station, broadcasting WTO updates on FM in Qatar and via the Internet worldwide.

Also by JO:
Greenpeace urges WTO to listen to the voices of those affected by free trade.

For more sound updates from the WTO see:

http://www.greenpeace.org/politics/no-wto/doha/

No New Round Radio webcast - Tune in NOW!
The No New Round (at the WTO) webcast is now broadcasting. On 10 November 2001, Greenpeace and Indymedia will webcast from the Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, in Doha. More >

More information:

The report “Safe Trade in the 21st Century: the Doha Edition,” contains the full Greenpeace recommendations - “The Greening of Doha”. To read the report in English, Arabic, French or Spanish click here.

Greenpeace critique of the Draft Ministerial Declaration released by the WTO on 27 October 2001 and Greenpeace’s proposed alternative.

Greenpeace International Executive Director, Gerd Leipold, statement on a new global security.

Press contacts:

Remi Parmentier, Greenpeace International: + 34 637 557 357 or + 31 653 504 702.

Tony Juniper, Friends of the Earth International: + 44 7712 843 207.

Aimee T. Gonzales, WWF: + 41796927973 or + 934 5391832.