Call to Action from South Asian Campaigns to Target the IMF and the World Bank during the Global Week of Action
Call to action
We, the national campaigns involved in the Global Week of Action in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka call upon all other campaigns involved across the world to target the IMF and World Bank during the Global Week of Action, before their Spring Meetings on 16-17 April 2005.
We call upon all networks and movements to launch mass campaigns to their IMF and the World Bank country representatives, as well as their own Finance Ministers, by e-mail, letter, fax or protest.
We call for an immediate end to all economic liberalisation conditions attached to loans and debt relief.
Background
For over two generations these economic liberalisation conditions have caused untold misery in our countries. They have been forced us to open our markets, privatise our essential services and reduce government support to farmers and industries.
This has resulted in increased poverty and inequality, the loss of food security, livelihoods, land and jobs, reduced access to public services, difficulty in developing manufacturing industries and the destruction of our communities.
These conditions also mean that we are left with little to negotiate with when at the WTO or in when negotiating regional trade agreements. At as absolute minimum, the IMF and World Bank should not force countries to liberalise beyond their WTO commitments.
'In spite of the recent tragedy that the people of South Asia have faced with the tsunami, we find that these liberalisation processes are not only continuing but actually accelerating. In Sri Lanka, the post-tsunami needs are clearly being used to push through an economic agenda that has already been rejected by the people.’ Sarath Fernando, MONLAR, Sri Lanka
Details
This call to action was discussed at the India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Global Week of Action national consultations in October and December 2004, and first issued at the Global Week of Action seminar at the World Social Forum, in Porto Alegre on 29 January 2005.
J. John, Centre for Education and Communication, India
Sheelu Francis, Women’s Collective, India
Farida Akhter, UBINIG, Bangladesh
Sarath Fernando, MONLAR, Sri Lanka
On behalf of the India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka movements and campaigns involved in the Global Week of Action.
We are targeting country representatives because they are the local face of the IMF and World Bank. We are targeting our Finance Ministers because they represent our countries’ interests at the IMF and World Bank.
IMF country representatives
For IMF Resident Representative Offices click here
For Country Information contacts click here
World Bank country representatives
Go to www.worldbank.org, then to ‘Countries and Regions’ – click on your Specific County and go to Contacts
