BHURBAN, Sept 10: Farmers and civil society representatives here on Friday staged a demonstration urging the ministers of G-20 countries to evolve a joint strategy for protecting the interest of the poor farmers of developing countries. The demonstration was organized by the People’s Forum on WTO, ActionAid, SDPI, WTO Watch Group, Oxfam International and Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, at the inauguration of two-day G-20 ministerial meeting.
The protesters have come from across the four provinces, besides other countries including Nepal, India, Thailand, the UK and the Philippines. They had been denied access to the meeting.
The protest rally criticized the organizers of the meeting for not allowing the representatives of the civil society and farmers to present their case.
Speaking on the occasion, Oxfam Director Jarmey Hobbs said the G-20 should stick to its stance and press its point in the coming Hong Kong ministerial conference for the protection of the small farmers.
We want protection of special products and adoption of special safeguard measures by the G-20, Mr Hobbs added.
He said there was a need for development oriented policies across the world.
Representative of ActionAid Aftab Alam urged the G-20 ministers to present the case of the poor farmers and avoid any deal with the developed countries on the agriculture related issues in the WTO. The interest of the downtrodden small farmers should be protected at any cost, he added.
Dr Abid Suleri of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) called for broadening the base of G-20 and suggested that it should include members of the parliament and representatives of civil society and farmer groups.
They should consult the people concerned and their representatives before deciding their fate, he added.
Mr Suleri alleged that the WTO ministerial meeting seemed just like a family picnic for the officials, as they had brought their families with them and kept away the people concerned.
He criticized this “indifferent attitude” of the organizers.
A women representative, Shazi Gul, said women in the third world were playing a vital role in the development of agriculture sector as more than 90 per cent women were involved in the farming sector in the rural areas. Rights of women associated with this sector should be safeguarded, she added.