[afro-nets] Food for an overlooked thought

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Food for an overlooked thought
------------------------------
Human Rights Reader 150

FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS, MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, AND HUMAN
RIGHTS: WORKING AT CROSS-PURPOSES?

Who will live and who will die
has already been decided
by the economic structures
brought about by globalization.
(P. John)

1. These days, bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) are
totally bypassing the World Trade Organization (WTO). This is
because rich countries think that multilateralism is for weak
players and is based on long-winded processes with decisions
that are typically based on the lowest common denominator
arrived at with a one-country-one-vote system. So these rich
countries (or the EU) seek their own way through these (often
imposed) bilateral FTAs that bypass the WTO. Therefore, WTO
critics are, in a way, partly misled when they demonstrate
(only) against the WTO in the streets.

2. But, as experience has shown, in FTAs the cost:deception
ratio has been high. FTAs pursued by hegemonic powers, despite
being nefarious, find developing countries to be complacent,
"behaving like animals being blissfully led to their slaughter".
(J. Bhagwati).

3. We cannot overlook the proven fact that trade (as much as
foreign aid) is just an opportunity (often missed) and certainly
not a guarantee. This is true, not only from an economic
development perspective, but particularly from the perspective
of human rights (HR). (G. Kent) Unfortunately, in the case of
aid, if one aid program misses its opportunity to deliver what
it promised (whatever its expected impact was supposed to be),
the next one is as sure to come along as day follows night;
unhealthy donor competition ensures that. This is dramatically
seen in current-day aid directed at 'helping' poor countries
achieve the MDGs.

4. Few people know the MDGs actually comprise only two (of 30!)
paragraphs of the full Millennium Declaration -- which calls
very strongly for democracy and human rights as the route to
achieving the stated millennium goals! Actually, despite the
fact that paragraphs 25 and 26 of the Millennium Declaration
specifically call to apply a HR-based approach, the ongoing
Millennium-Development-Goals-drive has become a global action
program without such an orientation.

5. Moreover, when one looks at budgets, at management bodies and
at related things that need to go with a full-fledged program,
one finds that, at the global level, there is practically
nothing there on HR. MDG-directed programs are mainly advocating
better-work-at-the-national-level. Paradoxically, this assumes
capacity and political determination at the national level when
the problems we are trying to solve occur precisely because of
shortfalls in technical and political capacity at the national
level. [It is not, as so often touted, a lack of political will;
most of the cases, it is a deliberate political laissez-faire
decision of the national leadership in power].

6. Still as of today, there really is no global MDG-directed
program that we can hold accountable. Come to think of it, there
never were any solid global commitments made by any
international actors against which we can hold them accountable
for. So far, a Millennium Development Program at the global
level is an illusion. (G. Kent)

7. Furthermore, the Hunger Task Force Report of the Millennium
Project (220 pages) also totally neglects human (people's)
rights and more specifically the right to health and to adequate
food and nutrition. (So much for Jeffrey Sachs being one of
'us'.).

8. To add insult to injury, global targets cannot simply be
imposed on each and every country, independently of their
specific situations. The quantitative MDG targets must be
translated into nationally agreed targets that balance desire
and reality. One is left to wonder whether we should not call
for a 'customization of MDGs' setting customized targets, as
well as specific goals and processes that ultimately respect,
protect and fulfill HR. (U. Jonsson)

9. As can be seen, much needs to change for trade, aid and the
setting of development goals to work synergistically with HR
goals. We all need to contribute our own share to progressively
make this a reality.

Note: Not being facetious, if we provide sandwiches for all who
are hungry in the world on the first day of 2015, will we have
fulfilled the MDG of ending hunger by 2015? (G. Kent)


Claudio Schuftan
Ho Chi Minh City
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam,vn

­­
Adapted from D+C, Vol. 33, No.5, May 2006; Carlos Fuentes, La
Silla del Aguila, Santillana Ediciones, Madrid, 2005 and F+D,
Vol.43, No.1, March 2006.