CETRI
« E-commerce » has become one of the hot spots in international trade negotiations. The term hides crucial issues for the economy of today and tomorrow, such as the role and place of digital « data ». For several years now, global digital corporations and their state sponsors have been trying to get international rules adopted that would guarantee their monopoly and profits, while at the same time allowing them to largely escape the possibilities of regulation. Their latest attempt ? The launch of controversial plurilateral discussions within the World Trade Organization (WTO). At a time when the covid-19 crisis is being used to defend the « urgency » and « necessity » of these negotiations, it is above all urgent and necessary to reflect on their potential implications in terms of labour law, economic concentration, North-South inequalities or the fight against climate change.
- Introduction
Cédric Leterme, research fellow at CETRI / GRESEA
(FR) (10 min)
- Origins of the negotiations, issues and recent developments
Deborah James, Director of International Programs at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) and coordinator of the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network.
(EN) (26 min)
- Role, position and issues on e-commerce from the European Union
(EN)
Helmut Scholz, Member of the European Parliament (Die Linke, GUE/NGL Group), Member of the International Trade commission.
(EN) (29 min)
- Presentation of the report from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) : « A recipe for corporate greed »
Alison Tate, Director of Economic and Social Policy at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
(EN) (22 min)
- Q&A with the audience
(FR & EN) (34 min)
