Global Trade Watch

Global Trade Watch (GTW) was created in 1995 as a division of the U.S.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Public Citizen that monitors the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Like Public Citizen in general, GTW advocates for a greater public role in international, federal, state and local policy-making, and for a different set of policies and institutions that govern the current model of globalization, according to its [http://www.citizen.org/trade/ website] , Global Trade Watch was established to promote government and corporate accountability in the globalization and trade arena. The GTW is among the few organizations focused full time on issues of globalization. The work of the GTW makes the measurable outcomes of globalization accessible to the public, press, and policy makers, but places an emphasis on the fact that the model can and must be changed or replaced if the results are not acceptable. They design international campaign which focus on the current mechanism of globalization, such as WTO, NAFTA, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and others. In focusing on these mechanism they ensure that they do not ignore the ways in which these mechanism were designed and implemented.

The GTW conducts research, publishes educational materials, educates the public through a grassroots program, maintains relations with press and policy makers, and coordinates with an array of domestic and international allies. They are ultimately working to build a diverse nationwide grassroots coalition.

Its director and founder is trade lawyer and activist Lori Wallach. Wallach has been compared to "Ralph Nader with a sense of humor" in a "Wall Street Journal" profile, dubbed "the Trade Debate's Guerrilla Warrior" by the "National Journal", [http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/events/reuters/2000-02-09.asp] , the "Madame Defarge of Seattle" by the Institute for International Economics [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2633/is_4_14/ai_64564019/print] and "a key player in Washington debates on trade policy" by The Nation. [http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0612-33.htm]

Senior staff at GTW in addition to Wallach are listed as including Mary Bottari as Harmonization Project Director; David Edeli as Field Director; Bill Holland as Deputy Director; and Todd Tucker as Research Director. [http://www.citizen.org/trade/about/articles.cfm?ID=9692]

The U.S.-based GTW is different than Global Trade Watch (Australia), an organization of the same name but with no formal affiliation. [http://www.tradewatchoz.org/]

Mission statement

According to Global Trade Watch's website:

"GTW was created in 1995 to promote government and corporate accountability in the globalization and trade arena. Having built unique substantive capacity and diverse contacts with other public interest organizations, the press and policy-makers, GTW is one of the few progressive U.S. organizations focused full-time on globalization issues. We have become a leader in promoting a public interest perspective on an array of globalization issues, including implications for our food, health and safety, environmental protection, economic justice, and democratic, accountable governance."

GTW's beliefs, aims and issues

The Global Trade Watch's motto is "Promoting democracy by challenging corporate globalization."

GTW is also known for promoting a public interest perspective which takes into account a variety of globalization issues, such as food, health and safety, environmental protection, economic justice, and democratic accountable governments.

Through their work the GTW is attempting to establish the fact that the current globalization model is neither a random inevitably nor free trade. The GTW feels each "Public Citizen", once empowered with information and tools to effect change should make activism a part of her or his daily life.

GTW feels the current system of corporate managed trade is merely one version of rules, which are not acceptable and must be changed.

One of the major issues for the GTW this year is to draw links between the CAFTA/FTAA and the WTO, which are based on the same ideologies and provisions.

Affiliations

GTW hold a position on the executive board on the Citizens Trade Campaign, a coalition of organizations seeking socially and environmentally just trade policy. The GTW also belongs to Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS), a network committed to a sustainable, socially just, democratic and accountable multilateral trading system. Through its affiliations GTW works to develop public policy debates on vital trade and globalizaton issues.

Publications

Books

"Whose Trade Organization: A Comprehensive Guide to the WTO" was written by Lori Wallach and Patrick Woodall. Wallach and Woodall's book analyzes WTO terms that have led to job losses in the major industrialized states, environmental damage, health risks and over international inequality.

Reports

"Public Citizen's Pocket Trade Lawyer: The Alphabet Soup of Globalization" - This guide is intended to help people go to the legal sources with an understanding of some of the most essential specialized terms, language and legal quirks of globalization’s instruments.

"Trade Wars - Revenge of the Myth: Deals for Trade Votes Gone Bad" - Details all the promises made by various administrations in exchange for trade votes.

"NAFTA Chapter 11 Investor-State Cases: Lessons for the Central America Free Trade Agreement" - The track record of cases demonstrate an array of attacks on public policies and normal governmental activity at all levels of government. This report is the most comprehensive analysis of NAFTA cases yet published in the United States.

External links

* [http://www.citizen.org/trade/ Global Trade Watch Website]
* [http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/ Global Trade Watch Blog: "Eyes On Trade"]

References

* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/economy/july-dec05/cafta_7-27.html Ray Suarez, "The Battle Over CAFTA," PBS Online NewsHour, July 27, 2005.]
* [http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=105865 William Greider, "Whither the WTO," The Nation, July 26, 2006.]
* [http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_12/news/14483-1.html Kate Ackley, "Trade Lobbyists: Agenda Doesn’t Stop With Doha," Roll Call, July 26, 2006.]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501621.html Paul Blustein, "Failed Trade Talks Usher in Uncertainty, WTO System Could Weaken After Breakdown Puts Globalization on Unclear Path," Washington Post, July 26, 2006.]