ASEM People's Forum V Calls for Fundamental Changes in Asia-Europe Ties

ASEM People's Forum V Calls for Fundamental Changes in Asia-Europe Ties

The ASEM People's Forum held in the capital city of Hanoi from September 6-9 and attended by more than 500 representatives of nearly 350 people's organisations from member counties of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) appealed for fundamental changes in relations between the two continents so that steps can be taken towards a world where human rights, sustainable economic and social development and people-centred security dominate.

The ASEM People's Forum is a network of organisations in Asia and Europe whose main activities include the organization of parallel civic conferences on the occasion of the official ASEM summits. It acts a venue for people, their organizations and social movements to exchange ideas and analysis of issues of common concern. ASEM is an informal process of dialogue and cooperation bringing together 15 European Union member states and the European Commission, with 10 Asian countries, namely Vietnam, China, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. The ASEM dialogue addresses political, economic and cultural issues, with the objective of strengthening the relationship between the two regions.

Deeply concerned about the effects of current economic development on the lives of people, the rising militarization of international relations, the weakening of democracies and attacks on social and human rights, delegates at the four-day forum with the theme "People's Actions for Human Security in Asia and Europe" discussed three issues: peace and security, economic and social security, and democratisation and people's rights. They called for all people's organizations across Asia and Europe to strengthen ties and cooperation in the attainment of ASEMs goals of human security, peace, equitable and sustainable development, democracy, equality for all people, and social progress in the two continents and across the world.

On the subject of economic and social security, the delegates agreed that EU and WTO-rooted agricultural policies, subsidies and agreements which favour corporate agribusiness are severely affecting the lives of millions of small-scale agricultural producers across Asia and Europe. Delegates decided to work with people's organizations across the two continents to protest against an unjust international economic order which is leading to a loss in national sovereignty, growing social disparity and environmental destruction, and to struggle against unfair trade practices and agreements such as the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights which are endangering the livelihoods of millions of peasants, workers and indigenous peoples in the two continents, and instead promote sustainable agricultural and rural development based on the principles of food sovereignty.

Facing the fact that citizens in many Asian and European countries are denied their fundamental rights to essential services, the delegates also agreed to promote human security, poverty reduction, the right to health care, education, food and water for all, the right to sustainable and decent work, and human-centred approaches to trade and investment, including public and public-community partnerships.

People's organizations from Asia and Europe also called on ASEM governments to reject in most part the provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the WTO framework on agriculture agreed in Switzerland in July 2004 which are detrimental to people-centred sustainable and equitable development activities; and instead place food safety, sovereignty and access at the centre of their agricultural policies; submit ASEM-related trade and investment agreements and policies for public and national parliamentary scrutiny; and ensure that the Asia-Europe Business Forum becomes a mechanism for supporting socially and economically sustainable and equitable patterns of trade and investment.

On the subject of peace and security, the delegates stated that the escalation of conflicts rooted in social, political, economic, ethnic and religious tensions in many ASEM countries has led to the curtailment of civil liberties and human rights, undermining efforts to progress towards greater human security and social justice. They vowed to strengthen cooperation between Asian and European peace and economic justice activists, work to end the arms race and militarization, including a total ban on weapons of mass destruction, demand justice for all victims of armed conflict, support the call for justice for the victims and survivors of Agent Orange and depleted uranium, and intensify dialogues and exchanges among peoples from the two continents.

They also called upon ASEM governments to reduce military expenditure which should be preferentially spent on health, education and human welfare; encourage public disclosure of their defence and security budgets; end their current military involvement in Iraq; repeal national legislation introduced under the pretext of "the War against Terrorism" which restricts civil liberties, including the legitimate rights and interests of migrant workers, and victimizes Muslim communities and peaceful movements; and stop waging wars of aggression using weapons which cause multiple and inter-generational disabilities, such as Agent Orange or depleted uranium.

Mentioning democratisation and people's rights, the delegates agreed that respect for human rights and the right to self-determination and the development and strengthening of open and participatory democracies form the basis for sustainable economic and social development both nationally and internationally. Thus, they agreed to build strong active citizen's organisations, develop new institutions in both regions which can deliver basic democratic rights and strengthen people's participation in decision-making, recognize the particular barriers preventing people with disabilities from exercising their rights, and deepen the process of democratisation in active citizens' organizations to become genuinely plural and inclusive. They called for establishment by ASEM 6 (to be held in Finland in 2006), of a forum which can facilitate people and people's organisations, including trade unions, to contribute to the building of a new Asia-European partnership and interaction with the official ASEM process.

Participants at the successful ASEM 5 People's Forum dubbed "People's Actions for Human Security in Asia and Europe" held in Hanoi from September 6-9 focused their statements and discussions on three main themes, namely peace and security, economic and social security, and democratization and people's rights. Following are some of their speeches.

Vu Khoan, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam

With 2.3 billion inhabitants and nearly 50 per cent of the world's economy, ASEM member countries play an extremely important role in world prosperity and the peace of nations. In the eight years since its inception, the process of Asian-European cooperation has made considerable progress in three areas - economic and trade cooperation, political dialogue and cultural exchange.

However, there is enormous potential for increased cooperation. In both our continents, major economies converge, many of which engage high scientific and technological standards, the two continents are also each other's top-ranking markets, and both are cradles of brilliant civilizations. Certainly, if such potential is fully tapped, it will lead to the stronger development of Asian-European cooperation and bring practical benefits to not only the people of the two continents but also all mankind.

Walden Bello, Executive Director of Thailand-based research organization Focus on the Global South

Struggle against imperialism and war is one front of our struggle. The other front is the struggle to change the rules of the global economy, for it is the logic of global capitalism whose fountainheads are the United States, the European Union and Japan that is the source of the disruption of society and of the environment. The challenge here goes beyond simply disempowering institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organisation, though this task must not be underestimated - witness, for instance, the recent resurrection in Geneva of the WTO, which many of us thought had suffered a major blow to its foundations in Cancun.

Nguyen Thi Binh, President of Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation

We need a more equitable and humane globalisation and development pattern genuinely for the people. We do not need an economic order that drives people into blind competition. Nor can we accept an economic development paradigm that destroys the environment and exhausts natural resources, let alone a development paradigm that impoverishes and enslaves human beings.

Under the current international economic order, it is a must for Vietnam to accede to the WTO to expand our markets, attract more foreign investment, and enjoy a legitimate status to protect our economic interests. Yet, we are well aware of the negative aspects of that imposed order, particularly on poorer countries. Therefore, we earnestly wish to work more closely with you and all other people around the world for an international economic order which ensures equitable, humane and sustainable development.

Yves Berthelot, President of French Committee of International Solidarity (CFSI)

Beyond the criticism of globalisation for its failure to reduce gaps between rich and poor, there are other fundamental questions which arise. First, a global approach of the economy should have been able to more strongly limit the damage to the environment that has actually been the case. Beyond the lip service to "sustainable development", real action is needed to change the behaviours of consumers and producers, rather than maintaining the status quo and taking only a few small corrective actions. Conducted by enterprises with the dominant objective of short-term maximisation of the value of their stocks and with governments striving for GDP growth, economic activities are now threatening the future of our children more than they are building it, a serious threat to human security. It is now acknowledged that if all developing countries, and first of all those of Asia, were to enjoy the pattern of consumption of the United States or Europe, the pressure on natural resources, including air and water, would be unsustainable.

Chen Huaifan, Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament

The Oriental and Western civilizations carry different features, and each has its own advantages. We come from different countries, representing different cultures. In my view, each country has its own way of being great; each culture contains its unique wisdom. Let's accumulate all these wisdoms and work together to build a better world with the sincere aim of treating one another as equal partners, the willingness to have heart-to-heart exchanges, and act in a spirit of pragmatic cooperation.

Let's work together to promote multilateralism and democratisation of international relations. We should safeguard the authority of international law, and honour the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. To address new challenges to security, we should seek new ways. Although confronted with all kinds of difficulties, we should continue our efforts to push forward the multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation processes, which are of great significance to world security. We should cherish the diversity of the world and promote dialogues among civilisations.

• Dong Phong