Irish NGOs Call on Davos Leaders to Put Poor People First

Press Release

Saturday 26 January 2008

Released by: Africa Centre, Comhlámh, Christian Aid Ireland, Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, Latin America Solidarity Centre, Oxfam Ireland and Trócaire.

Irish NGOs Call on Davos Leaders to Put Poor People First

Today, Irish development organisations and campaign groups called on world leaders to put the interests of people living in poverty at the heart of global policy making.

Marking the annual World Economic Forum being held this week in Davos, Switzerland, campaigners staged a protest in front of the Central Bank in Dublin's city centre to highlight the effect of damaging global economic policies on people in the developing world.

"Powerful global actors are meeting in Davos. They have the power to take decisions that will end the exploitation of poor countries. The global economy has been structured to benefit rich countries and companies at the expense of the poor. We need to see a radical shift in the policies being pursued by these powerful governments and corporations," said Nina Sachau, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Comhlámh.

Today's protest is part of a Global Day of Action to mark the annual World Social Forum, which brings together environmental and social justice campaigners and activists from around the world. The World Social Forum is this year being marked by more than 430 events and protests in 85 countries across the globe highlighting the impact of profit driven globalisation on the poor coinciding with the World Economic Forum.

"Ireland plays a significant role in shaping global agreements which often favour business at the expense of ordinary people," said Dr. David McNair, Policy and Advocacy Officer for Christian Aid Ireland. "Trade agreements, such as the European Union-led Economic Partnership Agreements open up developing country markets without regard to the negative impact on jobs, livelihoods or public services," continued Mr. McNair

Campaigners also criticised the Irish Government's support for international financial institutions which impose policies on poor countries and deepen poverty.

"Ireland is undermining the sovereignty of impoverished countries by supporting the World Bank's practice of imposing economic policy conditions on poor countries. These economic policy recommendations have often had disastrous effects on impoverished countries around the world. Ireland should insist that the World Bank cease this outrageous practice immediately," said Nessa Ní Chasaide of Debt and Development Coalition Ireland.

For more information contact:

Nessa Ní Chasaide, Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, ph: 087 750 7001;David McNair, Christian Aid Ireland, ph: 085 710 5897; Nina Sachau, Comhlámh, ph: 087 9590142
Paul O'Mahony, Comhlámh, ph: 087 965 3877

Notes to the Editor

1. Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries, are one example of how profit driven globalisation hurts the poor. The EU has aggressively pushed EPAs which require developing countries to open their markets to competition from European goods. These agreements, many of which are agreed or partly agreed will likely lead to losses of jobs, livelihoods, government revenue and restrict the ability of poor countries to choose their own paths out of poverty.

2. The Irish government committed in December 2007 to increasing Ireland's contribution to the World Bank's International Development Association from €70 million to €90 million. The World Bank, currently link conditions to its funding for developing countries, meaning that when an aid package is finalised between the World Bank and an impoverished country, a set of policy recommendations are included as conditions of the loan contract. These economic policy recommendations have often had disastrous effects on impoverished countries around the world. For example in Mali, where 90 per cent of the population live on less than two dollars a day, the World Bank deliberately prevented the Malian government from accessing more aid on the grounds of its failure to privatise its cotton industry. Liberalisation of the cotton sector saw three million Malian farmers experience a 20 per cent drop in the price they received for their cotton in 2005. And private ownership of the Malian electricity company has resulted in minimal expansion in electricity coverage and dramatic price increases for consumers.