Friday 2nd December 05 - Oxfam Lion Makes a Big Noise for Trade Justice

On Friday 2nd December, Hull campaigners will present Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, with an Oxfam petition signed by over 700,000 people calling for trade justice at the forthcoming World Trade Organisation ministerial summit. The UK section of Oxfam's Big Noise to Make Trade Fair petition will be handed over at Hull Guildhall, accompanied by Chinese musicians and an Oxfam Make Trade Fair Chinese dancing Lion, as well as trade justice fortune cookies and a Chinese-themed reception, to mark the fact that the talks are taking place in Hong Kong.

Mr. Johnson, who is MP for Hull West and Hessle, will be attending the WTO Ministerial summit in Hong Kong from the 13th to the 18th of December, where ministers will make crucial decisions about the rules that govern world trade ? decisions that have the potential to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Kim Tan, Oxfam Campaigns Officer for Humberside said; The current rules of world trade are rigged, benefiting rich countries, and driving the poorest people in the world deeper into poverty.

A system which allows a billion people live on $1 (£0.65) or less a day, while in the EU a cow receives $2 a day in subsidies cannot be allowed to continue. It is essential that EU and US representatives meeting in Hong Kong reach a deal that allows developing countries to use trade to lift themselves out of poverty.

He continued, Mr. Johnson can play a key role in Hong Kong, in helping to ensure that a deal is reached that stops dumping EU and US farm surpluses on poor countries, pushing millions of poor farmers out of business and further into poverty. The deal must ensure that elected governments in poor countries have the power to act in the interests of their own people. Trade must be part of the solution to overcoming poverty, not part of the problem.

This event comes at the end of a year of events to Make Poverty History, in which Hull has played a key role. In May the council passed a resolution to support the campaign, and in July 100 Hull activists attended the huge Make Poverty History rally in Edinburgh to demand trade justice, more aid and debt cancellation from G8 leaders. The Lord Mayor will be attending the event on 2nd July as part of Hull's ongoing commitment to the campaign.

Sylvia Usher, local campaigner said, These talks are so important to people in developing countries around the world. It is vital that the people of Hull show Alan Johnson the commitment we have to ending poverty, and to demand trade justice in the negotiations in Hong Kong.

So far over 720,000 people in the UK, and a total of 11,672,085 around the world, have already signed Oxfam's Big Noise petition demanding trade justice at the WTO. To sign the Big Noise petition, visit www.maketradefair.com For further information, contact: Kim Tan, Campaigns Officer, Oxfam Aspect Court, 47 Park Square East Leeds LS1 2NL Telephone: +44 (0)113 3944293 UK mobile: +44 (0)7786 660407 Email: ktan@oxfam.org.uk www.oxfam.org.uk

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