SAAG condemns the secret Cairns Group meeting: Farmers protest against WTO
LAHORE ,18 April: ActionAid Pakistan in collaboration with Sustainable agriculture Action Group (SAAG) a right based civil society and farmers' network and other Civil Society Organization (CSOs) organized peasants' resistance convention from 15th to 18th April against the first Cairns group meeting in Lahore, Pakistan. ActionAid is leading member of SAAG and actively participated in the events. The convention was convened with the aim to reject the anti small farmers policies by Pakistan at World Trade Organization (WTO). To register its voice, SAAG issued a briefing paper, declaration, organized press conferences, media forum, peasants forum and a protest rally in Lahore.
SAAG organized a press conference on 15th April, 2007 at press club Lahore. Civil society rejected Pakistans position in WTO visa-a-vie small farmers. Farmers leaders and civil society stated that it was Pakistan who presented the idea of development box in the WTO to protect agriculture and farming community and therefore joined the G-20 and G-30. However, now Pakistans U turn to joining Cairns group, which is export oriented group, will weaken its position in the G-33 and G-20 and may adversely affect the small farmers.
Addressing a peasants' forum, women farmer Sohni from Sindh criticized the policy makers and its nexus with the landlords who subjugate the poor farmers for their interests. Speaking on the occasion Jan Nisar Khalil from North West Frontier Province (NWFP) criticized the government for destroying agriculture of Pakistan and small farmers, while blindly following WTO policies.
Haji Noor Muhammad, a farmer's representative from Balochistan termed the WTO detrimental to poor farmers of developing countries and stressed for pro poor policies. Hundreds of farmers from all over the Pakistan including a large number of women attended the forum.
After the forums, more than five hundreds farmers marched on the road in scorching heat. They chanted slogans against the WTO and joining of Cairns group by Pakistan with out taking care of poor farmers interests. Peasants leaders stressed the government of Pakistan to consult with the peasants and civil society before taking any such decision. They warned the government, any move to exclude the small farmers from decision making would be harmful not only for agriculture but also will have repercussions for the livelihood of 60 percent farmers.
In its concluding press conference on Ministerial Communiqué SAAG members condemned the secret cairns group meeting and said the meeting ended without any breakthrough like G-4 in India. They stated that India is big agriculture exporter as compare to Pakistan but it did not join the Cairns group, and is protecting its agriculture and farmers community. They accused that Pakistan is playing in the hands of developed countries and neglecting its small farmers interest in the WTO. More than 100 Civil Society and peasants groups issued declaration demanding Pakistan not to sign any deal on existing package as this package is not in the interest of small farmers.
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