Theresa Amato on WTO and ecommerce - Lew Platt's talk

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

This is Theresa Amato's report from Seattle on HP's Lew Platt's talk at
the "NGO" dialogue (businesses are considered NGOs).  The views he
presented here are basically the USTR position in the negotiations.
Jamie


------
>From amato@essential.org Tue Nov 30 09:28:05 1999
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 22:36:49 -0500 (EST)
From: Theresa Amato <amato@essential.org>
To: love@cptech.org
Cc: John Richard <jrichard@essential.org>
Subject: Ecommerce/WTO according to Hewlett Packard

Seattle, Monday, November 29, 1999: 

The opening plenary of the NGO/WTO meeting was delayed for 3.5 hours this
morning because of a security sweep resulting from a direct action. The
supposed "dialogue" between NGOs and WTO, included a session on "Evolving
Public Concerns and the Multilateral Trading System."  This panel included
Mr. Lewis E. Platt, Chairman, Hewlett Packard Comany and Member of
President's Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations, who spoke
on ecommerce.
  
A summary of his remarks:

*WTO is good because it is a shift from goverments to NGOs and
corporations, but more importantly it empowers the individual.

*Praise for the ITA (Informational Tech Agreement);

*Eservices-- WTO should build on trade and services/basic
telecommunications agreements.

*Ecommerce -- The WTO is "well-suited" to ecommerce;  five points

1)  to perserve a duty-free cyberspace -- extend the moratorium on customs
duties;
2) assure consistency -- WTO should apply its rules to ecommerce;
3) eliminate other barriers;
4) lend a hand/extend technical assistance to developing countries;
5) Don't over regulate!

Mr. Platt had three recommendations:

1)  let technology solve problems -- like govt control of content;
2)  allow industry self-regulation to work -- along the lines of the BBB
(Better Business Bureau) on-line, a good example of "workable
self-regulation";
3)  We need a "new paradigm" for ecommerce that eliminates borders and
barriers.

Platt noted that some issues, such as "privacy and consumer
protections" were more effectively addressed in other fora, like the OECD.  

He then concluded with a quote from the head of _Monsanto_, Mr. Robert
Shapiro, that "the world will reward corporations that help solve world
problems." 

Many NGOs, when finally given a chance for their "three minutes" of public
comment after a day of safe and respectable presentations, complained
about the format of this so-called dialogue, the composition/selection 
of ngos representation on the panels, and the need for transparency.  

Tomorrow, more ecommerce at Bell Harbor (Pier 66), all day, starting at 9
a.m.  

Theresa Amato
Internet: amato@essential.org
Citizen Advocacy Center
P.O. Box 420 Elmhurst, IL 60126
(630) 833-4080

"Building Democracy for the 21st Century"


-------------------------------
James Love 
Center for Study of Responsive Law | Consumer Project on Technology 
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036 | http://www.cptech.org
Voice 202/387-8030 | Fax 202/234-5176 | love@cptech.org