Industry representatives were involved in preparatory work three years before negotiations started, whereas the World Wildlife Fund was not aware of the MAI process until a year after its initiation. The full text was not made available until February of 1997, and then it was leaked. And there still are no mechanisms for regular distribution of text under discussion. There is substantial concern from environmental, labor, consumer and womens organizations. Effects on the poorest countries are likely to be devastating.
Transnational corporations are already more powerful than many nation states.
When news of the impending treaty leaked to the public, groups around the world mobilized protests. In Canada, the Council of Cana-dians with 100,000 members campaigned across the country. As a result, three provincial governments said they would not recognize the MAI even if signed by the Canadian government. In the European Union, there were street protests, NGO critiques, and inter-agency fights within governments on key issues. The word war has been used to describe the situation in Finland and Sweden.