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    29 November, 2005

    Make Poverty History

    I have pledged my support to Oxfam Cymru’s Make Trade Fair campaign which aims to change international trade regulations to help poor countries work their own way out of poverty.

    With only days to go until the crucial World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Hong Kong, where governments from all over the world will meet to thrash out an agreement on the way countries trade with each other, I am supporting the call for

    1. Trade Justice: the UK Government should fight to ensure that governments, particularly in poor countries, can choose the best solutions to end poverty and protect the environment; end export dumping that damages livelihoods of poor communities around the world; make laws that stop big business profiting at the expense of people and the environment.
    2. Poor countries’ right to decide by calling on the EU to respect the right of poor countries to decide their own trade policies that will help them end poverty.
    3. Enact change in Wales by working with Oxfam Cymru to ensure Assembly policies and spending promote economic justice for people in poverty in Wales and across the world.

    The Hong Kong summit is the culmination of the yearlong global campaign to MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY.

    As Oxfam says, unfair trade rules and double standards of developed countries mean millions of the world’s poorest people are trapped in poverty. The United Nations estimates that these unfair trade rules deny poor countries $700billion every year. Oxfam Cymru's Make Trade Fair campaign is calling on governments, institutions, and multinational companies to change the rules so that trade can become part of the solution to poverty, not part of the problem. It is crucial that trade rules are shifted so they start to work for the poor as well as the rich.

    By implementing change at home and supporting change internationally, the National Assembly for Wales can change UK policies and help Make Trade Fair. By enacting change at home, Wales can become an exemplar nation on global economic trade justice – and share best practice with other small nations and regional governments, thus building on its ambition to be the world’s first Fairtrade nation. By supporting change internationally, through using its influence to advocate change and demonstrating solidarity with the world’s poor, Wales can ensure its voice is heard.

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    Promoted by Leighton Andrews AM, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff CF99 1NA.

    Author's editorial policy: This blog does not publish anonymous comments, unless they are really witty and I like them. If you have something to say, then have the courage of your convictions and use your name or an identifiable alias. Even then I reserve the right not to publish comments that are malicious, defamatory, stupid, pointlessly cynical or boring. Any of the statements or comments made above should be regarded as personal and not necessarily those of the National Assembly for Wales, any constituent part or connected body.