February 17, 2005

GENEVA – In a statement to the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee meeting being held this week in Geneva, WCC Secretary General Samuel Kobia called for support for the Global Week of Action for Fair Trade.

Kobia told the 150 members of the committee, who represent 347 WCC members Churches in more than 100 countries that the WCC and many of the member Churches are working to oppose injustice in the global trade system.

The current world trade rules are making the poor increasingly poor. Confronting the economic injustice of this system is a priority of the ecumenical community, in particular after the WCC Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998.

He invited Churches to support the Trade for the People Campaign, coordinated by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. This campaign seeks trade that promotes human well-being and allows governments to develop trade policies that protect the rights of their peoples without pressure from richer nations.

It also seeks to change trade rules to promote human development, defend the environment and eradicate poverty.

Kobia specified that the rules of fair trade should ensure the right to food, water, education, health and information and should regulate the activity of transnational corporations.

With these objectives the WCC secretary general called on Churches to participate the Global Week of Action, that will take place April 10-16.

He also called on Church leaders to sign and encourage their congregations to sign a petition that will be delivered to the general director of the World Trade Organization.

Latin American and Caribbean Communication Agency