Our experience of God's guidance shows us that Truth is to be found on all sides. We encourage all involved in this gathering to listen and act in that spirit. People involved in international trade should meet regularly in open forums to discuss existing practices, to evaluate new technologies, and to address many concerns which transcend national borders. We as a congregation recognize that the WTO ministerial gathering and ongoing WTO rulemaking have been designated by world leaders for these purposes.
Quakers have a long tradition supporting integrity and equity in trade relationships.
This congregation continues to believe that fair open trade is a healthy way to realize the full promise of economic exchange. We believe WTO decisionmaking will be most effective if the process fully takes into account matters of religious and cultural tradition, an intact and sustainable environment, labor rights and public health. We want the WTO to take these issues into account from the outset. We are especially concerned that the WTO has already caused several countries around the world to overturn important environmental and public health laws. We urge everyone to open the WTO process to democratic input and to orient WTO rules toward humane labor, public health and environmental standards.