Strengthening the People’s Resistance to Free Trade and Corporate power: On the Road to System Change. A Forum and Strategy Session on Challenging FTAs, the WTO and the Power of TNCs

The WSF in Tunisia provides an opportunity for groups and movements working on social and environmental justice, challenging corporate power and climate justice to come together to build momentum and consolidate support for coordinated actions targeting the illegitimacy and systematic human rights violations of the international trade and investment regime, constituted by the WTO, bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade and investment agreements, and the TNC dominated political and economic system that facilitates their abuses with impunity. In addition, the climate space allows for the discussion of these systemic challenges to be deliberated in the context of global climate crisis. The most powerful TNCs and states in the world do not want any real advances in the climate negotiations because they want to maintain the current architecture of impunity which is characterized by harmful trade and investment regimes which make their rights prevail over human rights and the rights of nature. This activity will create a space to discuss strategies for resistance to the current political and economic system, which is one of the main drivers of climate change. Some of the moments for action that will be presented during the event will include: the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to take place in Bali, Indonesia in December 2013 where multilateral trade talks will be geared towards safeguarding the legitimacy of the WTO; bi-regional resistances to trade and investment regime, and the campaign to Stop Corporate Power and the building of a People’s Treaty on TNCs.