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Human rights issues to dominate WTO conference
December 8, 1996
Web posted at: 12:45 p.m. EST (1745 GMT)SINGAPORE (CNN) -- The United States said it is optimistic an agreement on respecting human rights in the workplace will emerge from the World Trade Organization conference, which convenes Monday in Singapore.
U.S. trade official Andrew Stoler said Sunday that he hoped trade ministers from the 125-nation WTO would agree during the five-day meeting to a statement linking trade with workers' rights -- an issue that threatens to derail the conference.
"I am fairly optimistic at this stage. I believe when the ministerial conference ends on Friday we will have (a reference) to the importance of upholding core labor standards," Stoler told an international conference of trade unions.
The ministerial meeting of the WTO had been billed as a showdown between Eastern and Western nations over labor practices and workers' rights, issues that are expected to be the focus of heated debate at the conference.
The United States wants tougher WTO regulations against child and prison labor, as well as stronger union rights. According to the United Nations, some 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are employed full-time.
As examples, the West, led by the United States and Norway, points at children who work on carpet looms in Pakistan and fireworks factories in India.
Slave labor and forced labor are still rife in Burma, and the right to free association or take part in collective bargaining is severely curtailed in Indonesia.
The West has warned that growing public condemnation against some of the worst practices, such as child prostitution, could trigger a consumer backlash unless the issues are tackled formally.
Developing nations, including those in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) group, are expected to oppose the U.S. call for international child labor laws. They fear that outside interference could reduce the competitive edge they have garnered by paying lower wages.
These countries would prefer that the issue be left up to the U.N.'s International Labor Organization.
In a separate dispute, the United States will be seeking the elimination of tariffs on personal computers, software and semiconductors.
Asian and Latin American nations say tariff protection is necessary because their high-technology industries are not advanced enough to compete in the world market without protection. They are expected to fight the U.S. move.
Asia and Latin America want to focus attention on opening U.S. and European markets to their textile and clothing imports.
The conference is also supposed to address opening international agriculture and telecommunications markets as well as a U.S. push to liberalize investment markets.
China has been invited as an observer and hopes to become a full member but faces resistance from the United States.
Correspondent David Clinch contributed to this report.
Related story:
- APEC leaders pledge reduced tariffs on info technology - November 25, 1996
Related sites:
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- World Trade Organization
- World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference 1996 (Government of Singapore's Web site on the conference)
- ASEAN Web
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