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13. The WTO is an Illegal Institution the World Trade Organization came into being, Gerber dropped omething not mentioned by the corporate press, or most of the its claim regarding expropriation and began to challenge 1,200 groups from 85 countries that opposed the World Trade Guatemala before a WTO tribunal. Guatemala realised it was in Organization (WTO) policies during and after the Seattle battle with an immense power. The government changed its law demonstrations in 1999, is the fact that the WTO is actually an to concede to Gerber's marketing practices. illegal institution. Reference The WTO was put in place following the signing, in 1994 in * Peter Montague (peter@rachel.org), "Corporate Rights vs Human Morocco, of a "technical document" negotiated behind closed Need", Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly , November 18, doors. Following the Morocco meeting, the agreement was either 1999, www.rachel.org/bulletin/index.cfm?St=4 rubber-stamped or never formally ratified by national govern- ments, yet membership in the WTO requires acceptance of its pre- | 16. Human Genome Project Opens the Door to cepts without exception. Ethnically Specific Bioweapons The 1994 agreement has been casually embodied in international lhe Human Genome Project may now open the door to the law, bypassing the democratic process in mostly all of the member development and use of genetic weapons targeted at specific countries. It blatantly overrides national laws and constitutions ethnic groups. This project is currently being conducted under the while providing extensive powers to global banks and auspices of the US Energy Department, which also oversees multinational corporations. This totalitarian intergovernmental America's nuclear weapons arsenal. body has been empowered under international law to "police" Current estimates of the cost of developing a "gene weapon" country-level economic and social policies, suppressing the rights have been placed at around $50 million—well within the capabili- of national governments. Also, the WTO neutralises the authority ties of covert government programs. of UN agencies, such as the International Labor Organization, On November 15, 1998, the London Times reported that Israel designed to oversee international trade conduct. It furthermore claims to have successfully developed a genetically specific contradicts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "ethnic bullet" that targets Arabs. When an Israeli government Reference spokesman was asked, he did not deny that they had them. * Michel Chossudovsky, "Seattle and References Beyond: The Illegality of the WTO", * Roy Blake, "Genetic Bullets, Ethnically Covert Action Quarterly, Spring- Specific Bioweapons", Washington Free Summer 2000, www.cag.com Something not mentioned by Press, Jan/Feb 2000 the corporate press, or most * Greg Bishop, "Ethnic Weapons for 14. Europe Holds Companies Ethnic Cleansing", Konformist, March Environmentally Responsible of the 1,200 groups from 85 2000, www.konformist.com he European Union will soon hold countries that oppose WTO any company that enters the 17. IMF and World Bank Staff European market responsible for the policies, is the fact that the Tightly Connected to New environmental impacts of its products. i i Yugoslav Government Known as Extended Producer WTO is actually an illegal lhe G-17 is a Yugoslav economists Responsibility (EPR), the new EU institution. group that supported presidential rules will make manufacturers change product design, the materials used in manufacturing and the methods by candidate Vojislav Kostunica and wrote the policy statements for the post-election economic reform of which products are disposed to ensure environmental integrity. Yugoslavia. The regulations will cover products that contain electrical circuits, The impression the G-17 likes to give is that it is an indepen- and the phasing out of toxic metals used in the production of dent and Yugoslav-oriented group. The reality is vastly different. consumables like refrigerators and computers. It is actually funded through the Washington-based Center for Reference International Private Enterprise (CIPE)—a group set up through * Joel Bleifuss, "The Big Stick Approach", In These Times, April 17, the National Endowment for Democracy, a CIA-related group cre- 2000, www.inthesetimes.com ated in 1983. The G-17 group calls for Yugoslavia to work more closely with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) towards the 15. Gerber Uses WTO to Suppress Laws Promoting development of a market economy. Former Eastern bloc neigh- Breastfeeding bouring countries that have followed this tactic have had massive erber Baby Foods Corporation has used the World Trade wage deflation and increased poverty for the bulk of their citizens. Organization to suppress a Guatemalan law that encouraged According to writer and IMF researcher Professor Michel mothers to breastfeed their children. Chossudovsky, the G-17 paradigm economic program for In 1983, the government of Guatemala passed a law and regula- Yugoslavia contains the same measures the IMF forced on Russia, tions with the goal of inspiring new mothers to breastfeed their Ukraine, Bulgaria, Peru and many other nations. The results have infants and understand fully the harm that could be done to their been social and economic devastation. baby if they used breast-milk substitutes. References Gerber objected to Guatemala's law. It refused to remove its * Christian Parenti, "Colony Kosovo", San Francisco Bay Guardian, trademark picture of a smiling chubby baby from its product August 23, 2000, www.sfbg.com/News/34/47/47wvkoso.html labels. It also refused to add a phrase to the labels saying that Michel Chossudovsky (chossudovsky@videotron.ca) and Jared breast milk is superior. In November 1993, Gerber lost its appeal Israel (Emperors1000@ aol.com), "The International Monetary Fund but opened up a new line of attack on Guatemala, stating that the and the Yugoslav Election", Emperor's New Clothes, September 28, law was an "expropriation of Gerber's trademark". In 1995, when —_2000, emperors-clothes.com/indexe.htm the World Trade Organization came into being, Gerber dropped its claim regarding expropriation and began to challenge Guatemala before a WTO tribunal. Guatemala realised it was in battle with an immense power. The government changed its law to concede to Gerber's marketing practices. Reference * Peter Montague (peter@rachel.org), "Corporate Rights vs Human Need", Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly , November 18, 1999, www.rachel.org/bulletin/index.cfm?St=4 Something not mentioned by the corporate press, or most of the 1,200 groups from 85 countries that oppose WTO policies, is the fact that the WTO is actually an illegal institution. 15. Gerber Uses WTO to Suppress Laws Promoting Breastfeeding erber Baby Foods Corporation has used the World Trade Organization to suppress a Guatemalan law that encouraged mothers to breastfeed their children. In 1983, the government of Guatemala passed a law and regula- tions with the goal of inspiring new mothers to breastfeed their infants and understand fully the harm that could be done to their baby if they used breast-milk substitutes. Gerber objected to Guatemala's law. It refused to remove its trademark picture of a smiling chubby baby from its product labels. It also refused to add a phrase to the labels saying that breast milk is superior. In November 1993, Gerber lost its appeal but opened up a new line of attack on Guatemala, stating that the law was an "expropriation of Gerber's trademark". In 1995, when JUNE — JULY 2001 NEXUS + 17 www.nexusmagazine.com