CYIL vol. 9 (2018)

CYIL 9 ȍ2018Ȏ POVERTY ERADICATION – CONTROVERSIES BETWEEN UN AND WTO The preamble of the ILO Constitution sees a clear link between universal and lasting peace and social justice, emphasizing that social injustice produces great unrest of people that imperils peace and harmony of the world. 46 In addition to this the Declaration of Philadelphia emphasizes that “poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere”. 47 In this light Mike Moore, former DG of the WTO emphasized that: “poverty in all its forms is the greatest single threat to peace, democracy, human rights and the environment. But it can be conquered, and we have the tools in our hands to do so. One of those tools is trade liberalization.” 48 It seems that officially but not formally the ILO and WTO have reached an agreement on the crucially important issue of poverty eradication, but the practice of the WTO goes in a different direction. The ILO Conference reaffirmed that the establishment of lasting peace can only be based on social justice and in order to avoid the hindering of this fundamental objective any measure of economic or financial character reflected in national and international policies “should be judged in this light” . 49 Declaration for social justice adopted at the ILO conference underlines the importance of social security and labour protection to meet the new needs and uncertainties generated by the societal and economic changes amongst others, 50 while the annex to the conference focuses on the eradication of poverty and sustainable development in the global economy. 51 In line with all this developments the WTO recognizes that the relations of member states in the field of trade and economic endeavor should be focusing on “raising standards of living, ensuring full employment and expanding of trade in goods and services, allowing for the optimal use of the world’s resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable development.” 52 The Marrakesh agreement further underlines the importance of positive efforts ensuring the economic growth of LDCs’ in line with the needs of their economic development. 53 The same idea is reflected in the GATS “desiring to facilitate the increasing participation of developing countries in trade in services and the expansion of their service 46 ILO Constitution, Preamble, http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:62:0::NO:62:P62_LIST_ENTRIE_ ID:2453907:NO#declaration. 47 Declaration concerning the aims and purposes of the International Labour Organisation (DECLARATION OF PHILADELPHIA), is available on [accessed 23 August 2018], Art. I. 48 Democracy, development and the WTO, Statement by Mike Moore, is available on , accessed 23 August 2018; also cit. in: Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002, is available on < http:// www.un.org/esa/ffd/monterrey/MonterreyConsensus.pdf>, [accessed 14 March 2018], P. 89. 49 Declaration concerning the aims and purposes of the International Labour Organisation (DECLARATION OF PHILADELPHIA), is available on , [accessed 23 August 2018], Art. II. 50 Declaration on Social Justice for fair Globalization, Art. I. Adopted by the International Labour Conference at its Ninety-seventh Session, Geneva, 10 June 2008. 51 Annex follow-up to the Declaration Social Justice for fair Globalization, Art. II.D. Adopted by the International Labour Conference at its Ninety-seventh Session, Geneva, 10 June 2008. See also: ILO Convention No. 183 Convention concerning the Revision of the Maternity Protection Convention (Revised), 1952, Art. 7. ILO Constitution, Art. 19. Para 3.

52 Marrakesh Agreement, Preamble. 53 Marrakesh Agreement, Preamble.

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