ATN Cancun Daily Digest
The Africa Trade Network (ATN) brings together various social movements and networks from all over the continent around trade and economic issues. Coordinated by Third World Network Africa, the ATN was launched a year before the Seattle WTO Ministerial Meeting in 1998. Since then, the ATN has met annually, both to review global and regional trade and economic integration issues from an African people's perspective.
Globalisation continues to dispossess and disenfranchise communities in Africa ; social justice movements must continue to work together to make alternative voices and opinions heard in public debates and policy making circles.
Our strength is in our numbers; ATN aims to build solidarity between groups to support each others' campaigns around trade and economic justice

Each WTO Ministerial meeting has become a defining moment for assessing the power dynamics between the industrialised countries of the North and developing countries of the South.

Cancun is no different in this respect, and therefore the outcome of the Ministerial Meeting is a high stakes game for Africa.

This special Cancun Section has been developed to provide briefings, updates and analysis on the Cancun Ministerial from an African people's perspective.

Africans in The Forefront in Cancun
Africa peoples’ impact at the WTO Ministerial in Cancun was out of all proportion to the numbers present. While we were lacking in numbers of activists who could get to Mexico, the African Peoples Caucus made up for this with our

Behind the Collapse of the Cancun Ministerial
The WTO's Fifth Mininsterial Conference in Cancún ended this afternoon without an agreement on the Ministerial Text.

It is back to square one!!
The expected has happened. The US said it during the consultations and the EU sang along. These countries were not prepared to stop trampling over people’s rights, particularly the right to food and survival.

WDM condemns draft as illegitimate
The World Development Movement (WDM) has condemned the revised Misisterial Draft text published at the WTO Conference in Cancun yesterday as “illegitimate”.

Contrasts and Counter-Positions in Cancun
Over the past few eventful days, dozens of activists from South Africa have been on the streets of Cancun, Mexico, immersed amongst thousands of small farmers and fisher people from all over the world, indigenas from Chiapas and workers from Mexico and neighbouring Latin American countries,

African civil society condemns the revised draft text
African civil society statement on revised draft text

Comment by Third World Network on Cancun Text of 13 September - The Draft is deeply and seriously anti-development in substance and process
The Draft Cancun Ministerial Text (Second revision) of 13 September has ignored the views expressed at Cancun by a large number of developing countries on issues like agriculture, non-agriculture products (NAMA), and Singapore Issues.

Cancun Report #6: Two Realities: Inside and Outside the Summit
There are really two parallel events at the WTO meeting in Cancún. On one side, approximately 8,000 people are housed in the hotel zone: members of country delegations, advisers, journalists, members of accredited NGOs.

Cancun Update #5: NGOs Unified in Campesino tragedy, Status of Insider Negotiations
Readers may have heard that Campesino groups organized a peaceful demonstration for yesterday, September 9th, 2003 in the center of Cancun. In fact, up to 14,000 people were reported to have participated in the March. IGTN members marched in solidarity with the women’s network Women Transforming the Economy.

Cancun Report #3: Opening of the Ministerial Meeting
Today, September 10th, the WTO Fifth Ministerial officially began with a ceremonial opening. President Vincente Fox of Mexico gave the keynote address.

Death in Cancun: An Important Cultural Clarification
On Wednesday, September 10th, Mr. Kyanghai Lee, President of the Association of Korean Farmers and Fishermen, stabbed himself atop the barricade separating demonstrators from the Hotel Zone where the WTO is meeting in Cancun.

Africa Confirms Position on Singapore Issues
African governments at the 5th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico, have reaffirmed their position that they would oppose any efforts to open negotiations on the Singapore Issues.

Cancun Ministerial starts in shadow of protests and an untransparent process
The WTO's Fifth Ministerial Conference started on 10 September with an Opening Ceremony cum Business Session where some key procedural decisions were announced by the Conference Chairman, Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez, without an opportunity for delegates to either comment or approve.

Brazil upbeat on agriculture outcome, ACP Group confirm their stand on Singapore issues
The Group of 21 (G21) developing countries (on agriculture issues) is resolved to act as a bloc in Cancun and its members are upbeat about the prospects of a good outcome in agriculture.

Greetings to everyone from the WTO meeting and social movements resistance.
In an important development, yesterday the G-21 countries met yesterday to strengthen their alliance on the key issue of agriculture within the WTO.

Cancun Report #3: Opening of the Ministerial Meeting
These daily bulletins are a joint effort of the International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN) and the International Jesuit Network for Development (IJND). The two networks are cooperating in tracking information and writing the daily bulletins. They are also working in collaboration with CIDSE, a network of Catholic development funding agencies with partners in more than 100 countries of the South.

Agriculture becomes the centerpiece…
All major press conferences organized on 9th September a day before the Cancun Ministerial Conference (September 10-14, 2003) clearly show that Agriculture is going to make or break the Cancun Ministerial Conference of the WTO.

ATN Cancun Newsline - Africa at the Centre of Cancun
The American 'holiday dreamland' transposed onto the lush tropical Mexican peninsular of Yucatan is the first impression imposed on members of African peoples' organisations . . .

ATN Cancun Newsline - African's People's Caucus meet


TWN Cancun Briefings 5 - Trade and Competition Policy in the WTO
In Cancun, one of the most important decisions for Ministers will be whether or not to launch negotiations on new WTO agreements on investment, competition, transparency in government procurement, trade facilitation.

TWN Cancun Briefings 4 - The New Deal on TRIPS and Drugs: What does it mean for access to medicines?
In November 2001, when Trade Ministers in Doha agreed on a special Declaration recognising the right of countries to take measures to protect public health and promote access to medicines, over and above the obligation to protect intellectual property rights, it was widely acclaimed.

TWN Cancun Briefings 3 - WTO "Singapore Issues" What's at stake and why it matters
Cancun's most important decision will be whether or not to launch negotiations on the "new issues" or "Singapore issues": investment, competition, transparency in government procurement, trade facilitation.

TWN Cancun Briefings 1 - Some Key Issues in Cancun
The WTO’s 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun faces many key issues and problems. The outcome will be crucial for people and communities around the world.

WTO Scrambling to Rescue the 5th Ministerial from Imminent Failure, Protesters Numbers grow....
Welcome to the 4th Cancun Bulletin from the Global Exchange Puente a Cancun team providing a road map to de-railing the 5th WTO Ministerial...

Africa at the Centre of Cancun
As hundreds of WTO delegates arrive in CANCUN, MEXICO, for the 5th Ministerial meeting, the voice of Africa is ‘present’ here. Activists representing several civil society organizations are ensuring that AFRICANS Voices are heard at this very inaccessible global forum…..