The Sixth
Ministerial Conference
The Ministerial Conference is the top decision making body of the World Trade Organization (WTO). There have been twelve ministerial conferences from 1996 to 2022, usually every two years.
Ministerial conferences
First ministerial conference
...
of the World Trade Organization, also known as the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference and abbreviated as MC6, was held at the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
,
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to th ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
from 13 to 18 December 2005. Representatives from 148 countries were expected to attend the event, as well as over 10,000 protesters led by the
Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO and made up of largely South Korean farmers.
Wan Chai Sports Ground
Wan Chai Sports Ground () is a stadium in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, with a seating capacity of 2,401. It is a government-run sports ground primarily used by local schools for sports days and other athletic activities. Situate ...
and
Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin
The Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin () is situated in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. A prime site along Victoria Harbour, it is adjacent to the Wan Chai Sports Ground and located between the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and ...
in Wan Chai North have been designated as
protest zone
Free speech zones (also known as First Amendment zones, free speech cages, and protest zones) are areas set aside in public places for the purpose of political protesting. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "Congre ...
s.
Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to:
Places Australia
* Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales
* Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse
* Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...
served as the starting point for the rallies. Police wielded sticks, used gas grenades and shot rubber bullets at some of the protesters. They arrested 910 people, 14 were charged, but none were convicted.
Background
The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body in the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
(WTO), meeting at least once every two years and providing political direction for the organization. The Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, which was held from 13 to 18 December 2005, is the sixth ministerial conference (MC6) of the WTO. The 150 WTO member economies aimed to reach a preliminary agreement on liberalization of farm trade by reducing subsidies, providing
Aid for Trade
Aid for Trade is an initiative by the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as a policy concept in international economic and trade development, concerned with helping developing countries and particularly the least developed countries build ...
and address other issues at the Hong Kong meeting, aiming for a successful conclusion of the
Doha Round
The Doha Development Round or Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is the trade-negotiation round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which commenced in November 2001 under then director-general Mike Moore. Its objective was to lower trade barriers ...
in 2006.
Doha Development Agenda
The declaration of the "MC4 in Doha", named for the Qatari capital (
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
) has provided the mandate for negotiations on a number of issues on agriculture, concerning the implementation of the agreements which had to be completed in 2000 originally. However, the declaration set 1 January 2005 as the deadline for completing all but two of the agreements.
The Doha round aims to cut trade barriers across a wide range of sectors and is supposed to address the needs of
developing countries
A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...
, for whom
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
is a particularly sensitive topic. Developing countries say farm trade needs to be tackled first because it is so important to their economies and because it is heavily protected in many rich countries. The 25-nation European Union, in particular, has been under fire for not making further cuts to its farm
tariff
A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and poli ...
s and
subsidies
A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...
. A series of meetings between ministers has failed to break the deadlock. The EU says equal attention needs to be paid to manufactured goods, which far outweigh agriculture's importance in global trade.
At the
2003 Ministerial Conference, it was expected all members would reach consensus on how to complete the remaining agreements. However, the meeting got stuck because of discord created by agricultural issues and ended in deadlock on Singapore issues. The original 1 January 2005 deadline was missed. After that, members aimed at finishing the negotiations by the end of 2006.
The shelved Doha development agenda was therefore carried over to the Hong Kong conference. That is why speculation on the chances of success of the MC6 had been rife in the months leading up to the conference in Hong Kong.
Agenda
*
Market access
In international trade, market access is a company's ability to enter a foreign market by selling its goods and services in another country. Market access is not the same as free trade, because market access is normally subject to conditions or req ...
: supporters of a new round demanded sharp reductions in tariffs on goods.
*
Domestic support: demands for end of direct payments to farmers to produce their goods.
*
Export subsidies
Export subsidy is a government policy to encourage export of goods and discourage sale of goods on the domestic market through direct payments, low-cost loans, tax relief for exporters, or government-financed international advertising. An export ...
: European Union has promised to end its subsidies that depress international prices. However, no exact date has been provided so far.
*
Services
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees of a government
* Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a p ...
: push for lifting of restrictions on services sector.
*
Singapore issues The "Singapore issues" refers to four working groups set up during the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1996 in Singapore. These groups are tasked with these issues: transparency in government procurement, trade facilitation (cus ...
: demands from some rich nations for more transparent laws and better legal protection for trading companies. They include issues in investment, competition, government procurement, and trade facilitation.
Principles of the negotiations
*Single undertaking: Every item of the negotiation is part of a whole and indivisible package and cannot be agreed separately. In other words, Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
*Participation: The negotiations are open to all WTO members and to observer governments negotiating or intending to negotiate membership. But decisions on the outcomes are only taken by members.
*Transparency: The negotiations have to be transparent.
*Special and differential treatment: The negotiations have to take fully into account the principle of special and differential treatment for developing and least-developed countries.
*Sustainable development: The Trade and Development and Trade Environment identify and debate developmental and environmental aspects of the negotiations to ensure that sustainable development is appropriately reflected.
*Subjects not negotiated: Elements of the work programme which do not involve negotiations are also accorded a high priority. The General Council reported on their progress to the Fifth Ministerial Conference in 2003.
The potential benefits of the success of the MC6
The WTO attempted to facilitate dialogue between developing and developed countries. It is a platform that member states from all over the world can gather to discuss issues that influence global trade and economic development such as
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a legal agreement between many countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. According to its pre ...
, agricultural subsidies and equal access to technology.
The WTO has stated that it seeks to assist developing countries enhance their rural-based economies. It has been suggested that advanced technology could be provided by other countries. Developing countries are seeking easier access to foreign markets, especially those in the EU and North America. Moreover, they are seeking a larger quota of export and free tax for their products. In order to protect the interests of developing countries and recognise their needs, the term 'consider positively' may be extended to seven years as to eliminate any measures that are inconsistent with the overall goals of the WTO. Should these efforts have succeeded, the MC6 would have made substantial progress towards fulfilling its mandate.
The barriers faced by the MC6
Many groups of people are not happy with the WTO as they believe it symbolizes the exploitation of poor countries by the developed countries. Thus, there are many protests and demonstrations organised during each WTO conference. Besides, as the number of member countries in WTO is large, it is not easy to reach an agreement which gets the consensus of the participating countries. Therefore, the last two Ministerial Conferences which included the Ministerial meetings at Seattle and Cancún failed. It was not easy to tell if the MC6 could reach any final agreement.
Participations of the member countries
Commonwealth of Nations
The
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
is an association of 53 countries. Its 1.8 billion citizens, about 30 per cent of the world's population are drawn from a broad range of faiths, races, cultures and traditions.
In the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, on 25–27 November 2005, the group issued its
Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was ...
calling on "all developed countries to demonstrate the political courage and will to give more than they receive."
The Commonwealth has also acknowledged that "Agriculture is the most distorted sector of world trade" and has put renewed pressure on the European Union to commit to a time-table to reduce agricultural subsidies.
Africa
The main concern of Africa in the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization was to have the right of entry to the Northern markets for tropical products, and to defend African markets from profoundly subsidised exports dumped onto their market. On conjugal support, the proposal is for rich countries to cut down their support to home farmers and to slowly but surely phase it out. Africa was requesting cuts in subsidies for produces that are sent abroad and
dumped onto African markets.
Pre-conference predictions
Although WTO members are eager to reach a deal in MC6, a 42-page draft unveiled by WTO Director-General
Pascal Lamy
Pascal Lamy (born 8 April 1947) is a French political consultant and businessman. He was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1 September 2005 to 1 September 2013 for 8 years. In April 2009, WTO members reappointed Lamy ...
show how far they are agreeing on critical issues.
The draft does reflect some progress made over 18 months on new anti-dumping rules and customs facilities improvement. However, the two subjects, reducing tariffs and subsidies on either agriculture or manufactured goods, have held up the negotiations.
Trade officials said unless progress has been made in negotiations in these two subjects, meaningful deal can hardly be reached in MC6.
France's trade minister, Christine Lagarde, said there would not be consensus and there will not be major progress in Hong Kong in an interview with a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
local newspaper ''
South China Morning Post
The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
''.
Planning
A steering committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Commerce and Industry) of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
(HKSAR), Miss Denise Yue, was set up in August 2004.
Seven working groups under the committee were established. Their tasks covered the following areas:
*accommodation
*conference facilities
*transport and airport reception
*security and accreditation
*media, publicity and community relations
*social programmes, commercial sponsorship and liaison support
*information & communications technology
to ensure the success of the event.
Venue
During the MC6, a closed area covering the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
and its linking footbridges,
Tamar site
Tamar ( ) is the administrative centre of Hong Kong located in Admiralty. The headquarters of Hong Kong's Legislative Council and Central Government are located in Tamar. Adjacent to the island's financial heart at the Central harbourfront ...
,
Wan Chai ferry pier, Convention Drive, Expo Drive and the podium adjacent to
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...
was set up. In terms of geographic coverage, the closed area was about one square kilometre. The closure was on a 24-hour-a-day basis from 6pm on 12 December to 5 a.m. on 19 December 2005.
An executive order was made by the Chief Executive under section 36 of the Public Order Ordinance (POO) (Cap. 245) to turn these places into a closed area. Under the order, the
Commissioner of Police may grant permission to individuals to enter or leave the closed area. Holders of accreditation badges, including MC6 delegates, local and overseas journalists, representatives of non-governmental organisations, support staff, staff and tenants of the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
were allowed to enter or leave the closed area during the closure period. Other people who needed to enter the closed area for justifiable reasons applied for permits from the police.
Security and emergency
A total of 9,000 officers from the
Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...
were on stand-by for the conference, which was one-third of the regular police force and the greatest number of all the activities the police force has ever been involved in. Officers underwent riot control and shield training. Some of them were sent to observe security arrangements for the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy, economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. forum summit in
Pusan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...
, South Korea.
The Commissioner of Police,
Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for ''The Straits Times'') and his wife , Elizabeth Tan. He was th ...
provided reassurances that weapons such as
water cannon
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining ...
s and
plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round (PBR) is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon, they have caused a number of deaths when used incorrectly.
Plastic bullets are generally used for ...
s would not be used. Given the police's experience in dealing with previous riots, such as those involving Vietnamese refugees in the 1990s, Mr Lee said the Hong Kong Police Force should be able to handle any protests. In the unlikely event of an emergency which the police cannot handle, the Chief Executive had the power to seek help from the Hong Kong detachment of the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
(PLA). Provisions for this were in the
Hong Kong Basic Law
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is a national law of China that serves as the organic law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Comprising nine chapters, 160 ...
. On 17 December, the Hong Kong Police Force used
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...
,
pepper spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
and fire hoses in order to suppress the demonstrators. Almost 1000 demonstrators have been detained.
The police force formed nine working groups responsible for different aspects of the conference, drawing manpower from all over the force. The working groups included: logistics; traffic management; manpower and procurement; public relations; command and control; IT and communications; public order; security; and tactics and training.
To stop protesters, fences around the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
were erected. French windows of shops, including McDonald's in Sun Hung Kai Centre, which is close to the
Wan Chai Sports Ground
Wan Chai Sports Ground () is a stadium in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, with a seating capacity of 2,401. It is a government-run sports ground primarily used by local schools for sports days and other athletic activities. Situate ...
protest zone, were surrounded by wire nettings. The
Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin
The Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin () is situated in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. A prime site along Victoria Harbour, it is adjacent to the Wan Chai Sports Ground and located between the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and ...
in Wan Chai, which was also assigned as a protest zone, had fences surrounding the area. The ground of the Cargo Handling Basin was also levelled.
Drain covers outside
Wanchai Tower
Wanchai Tower, located at 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, is home to the District Court and government offices. Neighbouring buildings include Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower and Shui On Centre.
History
The building sits on land re ...
were secured, and bricks on the ground in Wan Chai also glued together to prevent protesters from digging them up. Nets were placed around footbridges in Wan Chai and
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...
to prevent objects from being thrown onto the roads.
The seven commercial buildings around the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
, for the first time, formed a security network, under which their
closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...
systems were linked together during the period of the conference.
Considering the possibility of fire, the
Fire Services Department
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides ...
increased the number of officers in the Harbour Road, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay fire stations. The Director of the Hong Kong Fire Services,
Anthony Lam
Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a '' gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton ...
, said the current fire equipment of the department would be able to cope as the temperature of general indoor fires is much higher.
St. John Ambulance sent 1,200 people to provide medical aid support. The
Auxiliary Medical Services
Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) is a voluntary medical and health services provider in Hong Kong. Its mission is to supply effectively and efficiently regular services to maintain the health and well-being of people in Hong Kong.
History
The ...
stationed in areas near the Exhibition Centre during the conference.
Image:netting.jpg, Sun Hung Kai Centre(next to the Wan Chai Sports Ground protest zone), protected by wire nettings.
Image:Drain_cover.jpg, Drain covers outside Wanchai Tower
Wanchai Tower, located at 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, is home to the District Court and government offices. Neighbouring buildings include Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower and Shui On Centre.
History
The building sits on land re ...
have been secured.
Image:Bricks_on_the_ground_in_Wan_Chai,_Hong_Kong.jpg, Bricks are glued together. This helps prevent people from using the bricks as weapons.
Logistics
Public transport
The areas around the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
were barricaded from 6pm on 12 December. At least 30 bus routes were diverted when roads to
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
and
Wan Chai Ferry Pier were blocked. There was suspension of the regular ferry services running between Wan Chai and
Hung Hom and between Wan Chai and
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hu ...
.
The
MTR spent HK$10 million due to the WTO meeting and fares were not be deducted as what it was suggested from a legislative councilor. It carried out measures including bypassing stations, temporarily closing entrance gates and changing exits as entrance or entrance as exits in
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
,
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to th ...
and
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...
stations during the Conference.
To help divert road traffic from Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and the
Cross-Harbour Tunnel
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel (abbreviated ''CHT'' or ''XHT'') is the first tunnel in Hong Kong built underwater. It consists of two steel road tunnels each with two lanes constructed using the single shell immersed tube method.
It is the earl ...
, the government reached an agreement with the two other tunnel operators,
Western Harbour Crossing
The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Isl ...
and
Eastern Harbour Crossing
The Eastern Harbour Crossing, abbreviated as "EHC" (), is a combined road-rail tunnel that crosses beneath Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Opened on 21 September 1989, it connects Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling, Kowloon East.
...
, to offer toll discounts of 14% to 25% for private cars, taxi and goods vehicles between 13 and 18 December 2005.
During the Conference there were 80 hotlines (Telephone No. 1834567) operated by the Transport Department for the public to inquire about the updated transport condition.
Volunteers
The
Special administrative region government recruited 488 volunteers through two organizations (Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and Agency for Volunteer Service) to serve guests in the airport, help with the accreditation application and carry out clerical work. Those volunteers include students, civil servants professionals such as lawyers and retired people.
Contingency plans
Hong Kong seemed to have met its most chaotic week during the Conference. Most schools in Wan Chai and some schools in Causeway Bay and
Happy Valley were suspended during the Conference. All shops and firms in Wan Chai were forced to close early on the opening night due to fear of injury. Some people were stuck barricaded in their own office overnight because of late notification of evacuation. The highway that crosses through Wan Chai was barricaded, and much traffic was detoured. All public transportation, including the MTR, had to skip stopping at the stations of the affected areas. Through the news broadcast on television and radio, the Hong Kong Police Force advised people who were still in the streets near the affected areas to either immediately go home or stay in covered areas until after the demonstration congregation cleared up.
The Hong Kong Police Force suggested three criteria for shopkeepers in the affected areas for safety assessment. The criteria included business nature, geographical location, and international position (for instance, whether the shops belong to transnational corporations). The Wan Chai headquarters of the SPCA (HK),
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is a common name for non-profit animal welfare organizations around the world. The oldest SPCA organization is the RSPCA, which was founded in England in 1824. SPCA organizations operate i ...
(Hong Kong), was closed from 13 December - 18. Most animals were relocated to other centres. All glass windows and doors were pinned with wooden boards.
Media
Around 3,000 journalists around the world were attracted by the MC6. The
Radio Television Hong Kong
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econo ...
has also been appointed as the official conference broadcaster of the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference to provide live TV coverage of public sessions. It will also provide facilities for recordings and simple editing by booking.
A Press Centre with infrastructure and technology will be provided service to members of the press. It will provide computer facilities for concurrent users through desktop workstations, LAN ports, modem ports, and wireless LAN access. In addition, easy access to printers, telephone, fax lines and photocopiers will also be offered.
During the proceeding of the conference, the anti-WTO demonstrations and the resulting confrontation with the Hong Kong Police Force consistently received wider coverage by the two local television stations (
TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
and
ATV) and the press than the progress of the conference itself.
Finance
Budget
The MC6 will cost the SAR government HK$250 million.
The items in the budget include:
*Lease fee and fixing costs of the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld–Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbou ...
: HK$37m
*IT and communication facilities: HK$37m
*47 new positions from the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference Coordination Office: HK$31m
*Transportation provided to participants in the meeting: HK$26m
*Membership fees for 50 most least developed members and payment to WTO secretariat: HK$23m
*Stationery including photocopy and fax machines: HK$22m
*Translation, promotion and temporary workers payment: HK$22m
*Security facilities: HK$22m
*Opening and closing ceremonies and feasts: HK$9m
Sponsorship
The
Hong Kong government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
was the major sponsor of the WTO MC6 conference, using public money to pay for TV, radio, newspaper and brochure ads. Apart from the government support, a total of HK$50 million of sponsorship from business sector has been another source of funding for the MC6. Fuji Xerox, a transnational company, will be the conference's sole printing service provider. The company is trying to move fast-copying machines, which can handle hundreds of pages per minute, from its Asia-Pacific regional offices to Hong Kong for temporary use. It is also said that 6 million sheets of paper, enough to cover 93 standard soccer pitches, may be consumed during the conference. BMW sponsored 280 cars for the country member representatives and WTO senior staff.
The participation of NGOs
The WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference was one of the largest international events ever held in Hong Kong. There were about 11,000 participants. Apart from the 148 WTO members, 1000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also took part in the meeting. The
Korean Peasants League
The Korean Peasants League (KPL) is a NGO whose members are South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with ...
(KPL), whose members are South Korean farmers, were among the 1000 NGOs. The KPL was involved in demonstrations in 2003 MC5 in Cancún.
During the MC5, protesters were kept behind fences far away from the 5 Star Hotels where the delegates were meeting. This provoked confrontations with security forces and a KPL member,
Lee Kyung Hae
Lee Kyung Hae (1947 – September 10, 2003) was a South Korean farmer and activist who opposed neo-liberal globalization and protested for the local farmers and fishermen of his home country whose jobs were threatened. He was president of the Fed ...
, stabbed himself to death in protest. The KPL claimed they did not support this act. The KPL group promised to the
Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO
The Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO (HKPA; ) is a grassroots organization that aimed to protest at the WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005 which was held in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai North on 13–18 December 2 ...
that they will adhere to protest perimeters and refrain from drinking alcohol in public, however later they engaged in violent and non-peaceful acts of protests during their duration in Hong Kong.
Participating parties
The
Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO
The Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO (HKPA; ) is a grassroots organization that aimed to protest at the WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005 which was held in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai North on 13–18 December 2 ...
, the first group to be granted an approval from the Hong Kong Police Force, staged three demonstrations on 11 December 13 and 18 December. There were approximately 7,000 - 10,000 protesters. The Alliance sent about 500 helpers to maintain the order.
Ten representatives from the
Korean Peasants League
The Korean Peasants League (KPL) is a NGO whose members are South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with ...
and the Korean Women's Peasants Association, on an inspection trip to prepare for the arrival of the 2,000 Koreans during the conference, held the first press conference outside the Cultural Centre on 29 November 2005. They were dissatisfied with the fence erected at a demonstration site on Wan Chai's waterfront.
Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor, chairwoman of the Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO, said protesters had wanted to see and be seen from the Convention and Exhibition Centre, where trade ministers gathered even while they were sitting. Lee Young-so, policy director of the Korean Peasants League, urged the demonstration site to be changed back to the original site and the Hong Kong Government should ensure that their voices can be heard clearly. The Police replied that the fence was a safety measure to prevent anyone falling into the water.
The Korean Peasants League, well known for their militant, violent demonstrations, was the largest group to protest during the MC6. It included 2000 farmers. The farmers claimed that they were only normal farmers and would follow and respect the laws of Hong Kong
Facilities offered for the NGOs
There was an NGO Centre and other supplementary facilities. The NGO Centre was located at Phase I of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. There are meeting, briefing rooms, and a computer area with desktop workstations, LAN and modem ports and wireless LAN access. In addition, other equipment like printers, photocopiers, telephone and fax lines were also provided. Moreover, extra meeting rooms and briefing rooms were set up for them when necessary. Reservation of these facilities was held by the WTO Secretariat.
The facilities would be well-catered for the NGOs unless there were sudden amendments.
There were five Hong Kong grassroots Web media organizations which cooperated and set up a media centre, to broadcast a live program "Outside WTO" via the internet. They are
EP21.org,
PRHK.org,
TALKONLY.net, and
HIRADIO hk, relayed by
openradiohk.com.
Demonstrations
13 December 2005
The WTO Conference commenced at around 3:00 p.m. Hong Kong time. The protests were largely peaceful throughout. The demonstrations started with around one hundred Koreans jumping into the
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental i ...
to try to swim to the
Conference and Exhibition Centre where the talks were being held. Police in boats prevented the Koreans from swimming to the Convention Centre, pulled them out of the water, provided them with emergency heat blankets, and brought them back to the central area. Then the activists approached the police force with a burning coffin, and conflicts broke out. In less than five minutes, the police began to use
pepper spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
to dispel the activists. Nine people were injured, including two police and
Legislative Council councillor
Leung Kwok Hung
Liang (Romanization used in China, ) is an East Asian surname of Chinese origin. The surname is often transliterated as Leung (in Hong Kong) or Leong (in Macau, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines) according to its Cantonese and ...
. The majority of protesters were peaceful, though, chanting slogans and playing instruments. A group invited into the talks protested during an opening speech.
John Tsang
John Tsang Chun-wah, GBM, JP (; born Mui; born 21 April 1951) is a Hong Kong former senior civil servant and government official who was the longest-serving Financial Secretary in the Special Administrative Region period to date.
Born in ...
, Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology said that he was displeased that the protests had involved violence.
Image:Kangkikab.jpg, Korean politician Kang Ki Kab also took part in the demonstration.
File:Korean protesters Hong Kong 2005.jpg, Korean farmers protesting in water
File:Hong Kong WTO protesters 2005.jpg, Protests along the waterfront
File:WTO protesters confront Hong Kong police 2005.jpg, Korean protesters confronted with Hong Kong police in the defense line in Hung Hing Road in Wanchai.
Image:WTO Ministerial Conference 2005 Protest.jpg, Protestors clashing with Hong Kong police
Image:Coffin.jpg, Korean protesters burned the coffin they brought along to the demonstration.
14 December 2005
Continually there was a slight skirmish between Korean protesters and the police, with the protesters taking fourteen of the police's plastic shields, but giving the shields back to them later. The police continued to dispel Korean protesters with pepper spray, while the protesters wore scarves, hats,
goggle
Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...
s, and even
plastic wrap
Plastic wrap, cling film, Saran wrap, cling wrap, Glad wrap or food wrap is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxe ...
to defend against the spray. The police once used a
shipping container
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...
as roadblock, but removed that later. After about an hour of confrontation, confrontations between police and protesters diminished. The protesters cleaned up after themselves and took their refuse away with them. Later in the evening, the police commented on the day's protests, saying that the capture of police shields was nothing special and was expected. They also told reporters that they decided not to arrest any Korean protesters because they believed any arrest would make the protesters angry and therefore cause the protesting to be more violent.
image:WTO_Protest_Victoria_Park1.jpg, Korean protesters playing drums and raising flags at Victoria Park
15 December 2005
Korean protesters carried out a "
kowtow
A kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. In Sinospheric culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence ...
procession". They shouted the slogan "Down Down WTO" and then kowtowed every three steps. They spent no less than three hours to reach the protest zones at Wan Chai, marching in such a way. Their knees were bandaged, their hands gloved, for protection. The procession has been an urban sight. Some Hong Kong youth were apparently moved to join the kowtow-marching.
16 December 2005
Korean protesters threw eggs at the
Consulate General of the United States. Some protesters also had their hair shaved in front of the consulate as a symbol of their protest toward opening agricultural markets
See a picturetaken by the ''
Sun Daily''
17 December 2005
Clash first occurred again in the cargo handling basin at Hung Hing Road. At the meantime, some Korean protesters suddenly broke the police's block between Marsh Road and Lockhart Road, running to
Hennessy Road
Hennessy Road () is a thoroughfare on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.
It connects Yee Wo Street on the east in Causeway Bay, at the junction with East Point Road, Jardine's Bazaar and Great George Street in East Point, through Bowrington, to ...
, one of the busiest road on
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
, making the entire Wan Chai closed off from traffic. Some of them attempted to overturn a police van but failed. They crossed
Gloucester Road, which there were still cars, and tried to reach the Convention Centre.
An escalation of the protests occurred that night. Demonstrators began clashing with police on Harbour Road in an attempt to force their way into the convention centre. The violence led to the closure of the MTR
Wan Chai station
Wan Chai () is a station on the of the Hong Kong MTR. The livery colour is lime green. It serves the Wan Chai locality within the district of the same name. The station platforms are located underneath Hennessy Road, a major trunk road conne ...
and the diversion of traffic from the
cross harbour tunnel
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel (abbreviated ''CHT'' or ''XHT'') is the first tunnel in Hong Kong built underwater. It consists of two steel road tunnels each with two lanes constructed using the single shell immersed tube method.
It is the earl ...
away from Wanchai. Police escalated the use of force and began using
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...
to repel violent Korean protesters. The police were forced to advise Hong Kong residents not to enter the Wanchai area and to contact friends and relatives staying in the area and tell them to leave. Security forces have sealed the entrances to the convention centre in case the protesters breach police lines.
The Commissioner of Police,
Lee Ming-kwai
Dick Lee Ming-kwai () is a retired Hong Kong law enforcement administrator who formerly served as the Commissioner of Police of Hong Kong from 2003 to 2007.
Biography
Lee attended The Chinese University of Hong Kong and joined the Royal Hong ...
, described the protest as a "riot". He also announced that there were 137 protesters and 67 policemen hurt in the clash. 900 protesters, including 730 men and 180 women (the most important are the South Korean farmers and
Long Hair
Long hair is a hairstyle where the head hair is allowed to grow to a considerable length. Exactly what constitutes long hair can change from culture to culture, or even within cultures. For example, a woman with chin-length hair in some cultures ...
), are still under detention on
Gloucester Road. He indicated that the protesters will be charged according to Hong Kong Law.
For a complete story of MC6 Resistance that happened on 17 December in Hong Kong and its vicinity, visi
Target:WTO
18 December 2005
Early in 11 am, some protesters gathered around
Kwun Tong police station and protested for a fair and open judgement of the arrested protesters. At 1 p.m., the South Korean farmers came back to Victoria Park waiting for another protest. Around 2 p.m., all protesters were removed from
Gloucester Road, which was soon re-opened to public use.
At night, 188 protesters, mostly Korean female protestors, were released, but still many protesters were in
Kwun Tong police station and court. Meanwhile, other protesters, including a number of Hong Kong citizens, stayed at the cargo handling basin of Wan Chai until the end of the conference.
Bishop Zen
Joseph Zen Ze-kiun SDB (, born 13 January 1932) is a cardinal of the Catholic Church from Hong Kong, who served as the sixth Bishop of Hong Kong. He was appointed cardinal in 2006, and has been outspoken on issues regarding human rights ...
visited the protesters at 11 p.m. and openly criticised the action of the police as "the shame of Hong Kong" because he was not allowed to visit the
Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
detained by the police.
Image:Release.jpg, A Korean protester stood in front of the memorial setting of Lee Kyung Hae, asking for release of the arrested demonstrators.
File:José Bové Hong Kong 2005.jpg, French farmer José Bové
Joseph "José" Bové (born 11 June 1953) is a French farmer, politician and Syndicalism, syndicalist, member of the alter-globalization movement, and spokesman for Via Campesina. He was one of the twelve official candidates in the 2007 French pres ...
also took part in the demonstration in the afternoon.
19 December 2005
Police have charged 14 men involved in the Wan Chai protests for unlawful assembly. They appeared at
Kwun Tong Magistracy at 8pm on that day. (Throughout the trial, they could not afford accommodation in a hotel, and so were offered refuge in a church, the location of which remained obscure for privacy reasons.)
They include 11 Koreans, aged 31 to 46, a 29-year-old Japanese, a 22-year-old Taiwanese and a 41-year-old Chinese mainlander. They were among the 1,000 people arrested in connection with the violent protests on 17 December.
Following the release of 188 people the day before, Police this afternoon released 839 Korean men and 105 people of assorted nationality.
22 December 2005
Korean government officers and Taiwanese government officers expressed concerns over the outcome of the court decision pertaining their 14 men subject to charges, that they obtained while breaking the law in Hong Kong. They threatened that further "actions" would be followed up if the men were not released or sentenced harshly. It was also said that an unfavourable court decision may jeopardize the political life of the Hong Kong Chief Executive
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (; born 7 October 1944) is a former Hong Kong civil servant who served as the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012.
Tsang joined the colonial civil service as an Executive Officer in 1967, occupyi ...
, since the
political reform bills were voted down in the
Legislative Council.
2006
On 9 January 2006, the 11 Korean protesters previously arrested, along with 300 other people including 3 Korean
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
members, protested to demand their immediate release.
On 11 January 2006, charges on 11 protesters were dropped. The Korean protesters Park In Hwan (朴仁煥) and Yun Il Kwon (尹一權) are still being charged with unlawful assembly while Yang Kyung Kyu (梁暻圭) had his charged changed to unauthorized assembly. They pleaded not guilty and were bailed for HK$30000 each.
On 13 January 2006, the 11 charged Koreans fled back to Korea. They apologized to businesses in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay for the disruptions during the conference. A few Hong Kongers went to the airport to farewell them.
On 6 February 2006, in the pretrial review, the prosecutors did not prepare adequately. They changed the evidence at the last minute from police videotapes to television footage. As a result, another pretrial review was held on 17 February.
On 7 February 2006, the police reported that they fired 6 beanbags, 34 cans of teargas and 738 cans of pepper spray. 518 police members used sticks to beat up the protesters. They admitted they arrested too many people and did not employ enough interpreters. Of the 910 people arrested, only 202 were allowed to meet with a lawyer.
On 15 February 2006, Yang Kyung Kyu had the charge against him dropped because of insufficient evidence.
On 2 March 2006, the trial began after pretrial reviews on 6 and 17 February, and lasted for almost a month. The magistrate was Andrew Ma (馬漢璋). The evidence, as changed days ago, was a footage from
Cable TV
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...
. The prosecution called between 10 and 23 witnesses. The accused said the government was trying to score political points by charging them. They and 30 other people protested outside the courthouse. Park and Yun were extremely upset about
John Tsang
John Tsang Chun-wah, GBM, JP (; born Mui; born 21 April 1951) is a Hong Kong former senior civil servant and government official who was the longest-serving Financial Secretary in the Special Administrative Region period to date.
Born in ...
, who claimed they were not really farmers; but the duo insisted otherwise.
Yang was planning to come to HK with Park and Yun to support them but stayed in Korea to participate in a strike.
On 3 March 2006, the police admitted that because they took a long time to contain the crowd, the real protesters may have left the scene before all the people there were contained. Therefore, the police may have arrested the wrong people.
On 22 March 2006, the magistrate ruled that there's no case against Park. He was released immediately. A prosecution witness said that Yun had "a protruding jaw, relatively thick eyebrows and small eyes". The defence pointed out that Yun looked nothing like that. The magistrate agreed, adding that Yun was "young and handsome".
The defence also noted that the witnesses had never mentioned Yun in the four statements they made, and questioned how they identified him 18 days after the alleged incident. The defence chose not to defend or call witnesses. The verdict was delivered on 30 March.
On 30 March 2006, the charge against Yun was dropped. The magistrate pointed out that the police did not employ Korean actors when carrying out the
identity parade
A police lineup (in American English) or identity parade (in British English) is a process by which a crime victim or witness's putative identification of a suspect is confirmed to a level that can count as evidence at trial.
The suspect, alo ...
. They did not provide evidence showing that Yun was actually at the scene. Moreover, their testimony was called questionable since they rarely deal with foreign suspects. Outside the courthouse, Yun thanked Hong Kong people for their continued support.
Elizabeth Tang
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (s ...
, chairperson of
HKPAWTO, welcomed the decision and criticized the police for
abusing power and wasting money.
Joseph Cardinal Zen
Joseph Zen Ze-kiun SDB (, born 13 January 1932) is a cardinal of the Catholic Church from Hong Kong, who served as the sixth Bishop of Hong Kong. He was appointed cardinal in 2006, and has been outspoken on issues regarding human rights, ...
, then bishop of Hong Kong, blasted the police for ignoring
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
and disregarding the activists' needs. Yet, Cardinal Zen was blamed by the public for his inappropriate and irresponsible comments.
Additional links:
See also
*
List of WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005 people
Apart from officials and representatives of member countries and observer countries, the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference will be the first to house the centre for the non-governmental organization (NGOs) under the same roof as the conference prop ...
References
External links
Official
HKSAR Government
The Trade and Industry DepartmentHong Kong Information Services Department
WTO
*
*
ttp://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/tnc_e.htm#documents/ Doha Development Agenda documentsbr>
The Trade Negotiations Committee
Other governmental
Congressional Research Service Report on Hong Kong MinisterialGovernment Accountability Office Report on Hong Kong Ministerial
Non-governmental organisations
Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO: Chinese Indymedia Bay AreaTarget:WTOStop The New Round Coalition*
Oxfam
Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.
History
Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
'
Make trade faircampaign.
Fair Trade Fair and SymposiumNo To WTO - Korean Farmers' Blog in English & KoreanFocus on the Global South: detailed analysis of the WTO's Hong Kong agendaGlobal Trade Watch analysis of the Duty-Free, Quota-Free proposal from Hong Kong*Asian American and U.S. Low-Wage Workers Delegation Against the WTO: Hong Kong 2005 - Delegation Blogs
SF Bay Area WT-No DelegationNew York CAAAV DelegationKorean American Delegation
Member organizations includ
CJWP
(ChinJurnWorPing), Chinese Progressive Association
CPA
, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
NNIRR
, KEEP (Korean Education and Exchange Program), MIWON (Migrant and Immigrant Worker Organizing Network), Asian American Resource Workshop
AARW
, CommunitY Organizing Collective (CYOC), Organizing Asian Communities
CAAAV
and th
Garment Workers Center
(Los Angeles), a project of Sweatshop Watch.
Media
Curbside@WTO - Updated news on the MC6OhmyNews InternationalThe Economist
{{DEFAULTSORT:World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference Of 2005
World Trade Organization ministerial conferences
2005 in Hong Kong
Diplomatic conferences in Hong Kong
21st-century diplomatic conferences
2005 in international relations
December 2005 events in China