an inter press service feature

paris, dec 10 1993 (ips) - the imminent conclusion of world trade liberalisation talks has raised concerns over the need to give the next highest priorities to the protection of the environment and to the respect of labour standards.

''with the economy getting increasingly global, some basic rules need to be treated with the highest priority,'' says john evans, secretary-general of the trade union advisory committee (tuac) to the organisation of economic cooperation and development (oecd).

''labour standards and the environment are two issues that will become increasingly acute in the future,'' evans added.

evans was in paris for a high-level, closed door, meeting of the oecd this week attended by non-governmental organisations in the environment and development sphere, the tuac and others.

an oecd document released to participants, said that the organisation recognised that the potential for future conflicts on trade and environment issues will remain ''great''.

the imminent conclusion of the uruguay round of the general agreement on tariffs and trade (gatt) was considered one of several events highlighting the range of present and future conflicts between trade and the environment.

''there is no doubt that environmental policies can have significant effects on trade and that trade policies can have significant effects on the environment,'' noted the oecd.

conflicts relating to trade and the environment, noted the oecd, may also arise between the north and the south, or between oecd and non-oecd member countries.

oecd said that the lack of a strong environmental institution and a mechanism to settle international environment and trade related disputes, are the main reasons why environmental concerns often evolve into conflicts.

''there is no environmental equivalent to gatt,'' the oecd environment policy committee pointed out in a paper prepared for the meeting.

new institutional structures, etienne vernet of the paris-based collective for environment stressed, will be needed to define a new relationship between trade and development.

however, vernet, who presented a paper reflecting a consensus between ngos from both north and south, ruled out gatt as the proper body to balance trade and environment objectives.

''due to gatt's methods, procedures and structure, it is not in the position to balance trade and the environmental and social objectives,'' he stressed.

according to vernet, environmental concerns are not being woven into the gatt negotiations. government representatives negotiating trade issues in gatt are not mandated to raise environmental questions -- nor do they have the expertise to do so, he said.

environment and development ngos, he said, are also not being consulted or allowed to comment on the various proposals being put forth by their respective governments.

''not only have gatt talks been held in secret, but participation has been reserved only for those defending business interests, economic growth, maximisation of profits and deregulation,'' vernet said.

the present form of economic growth, vernet pointed out, does not allow for environmental protection nor for social equity and is being achieved to the detriment of both.

''indeed, the uruguay round will only legitimise trade strategies which will lead to a greater deterioration of the environment, to even greater predatory consumption patterns and to the breakdown of social structures,'' said vernet.

''as long as liberalisation of trade will rhyme with deregulation or the protection of some economic interests, all initiatives to protect the environment and achieve social equity will be undermined,'' said vernet.

on the other hand, the business and industry advisory committee (biac) to the oecd stated in its paper, that economic growth, such as that promised by gatt, is needed for environmental protection. larger markets, said biac, increase the possibilities for certain sophisticated environmental-friendly processes.

''poverty is clearly an important cause of environmental degradation. economic growth and affluence increase the political demand for a better environment, health care and education and improve society's capacity to respond to these demands,'' biac said.

evans and vernet are both pushing for the inclusion of ''social'' and ''environmental'' clauses in gatt, possibly after the current uruguay round. (end/ips/ie/ao/af/93)

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