ACNIS PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A POLL ON KEY GLOBAL ISSUES
ArmRadio.am
22.03.2007 17:57
The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
today convened a roundtable discussion to present the results of the
second in a series of reports based on a poll of worldwide opinion on
key global issues. The report was devoted to labor and environmental
standards in trade agreements.
The meeting brought together citizens, members of environmental and
international trade organizations, analysts, and media representatives.
ACNIS director of research Stepan Safarian delivered opening
remarks. "As improvements in trade laws become international norms,
Armenia will be compelled to make similar adjustments," he said. "Even
though Armenia’s economy cannot be compared with that of developed
and developing countries, its general public opinion is well within
their average. As a result, we must now prepare ourselves for the
new conditions to be introduced in trade agreements." ACNIS analyst
Syuzanna Barseghian then presented the survey results.
Strong majorities in developing nations around the world support
requiring countries that sign trade agreements to meet minimum labor
and environmental standards, a multinational poll finds. Nine in 10
Americans also support such protections.
The leaders of less developed nations have generally opposed including
language mandating minimum standards for working conditions and
environmental protections in trade deals, arguing that such rules are
protectionist and would undermine their ability to compete in major
markets such as Europe and the United States.
Nonetheless, majorities in four developing countries in Asia–China,
India, Thailand and the Philippines–and two middle income countries
in Latin America– Argentina and Mexico–agree that trade agreements
should require governments to maintain "minimum standards" for working
conditions or for the protection of the environment.
Large majorities in three eastern European countries–Poland, Armenia
and Ukraine–also favor such protections as do an overwhelming majority
of Israelis.
"It has often been assumed that when leaders of developing countries
argue against including labor or environmental standards in trade
agreements they represent the wishes of their people," said Steven
Kull, editor of WorldPublicOpinion.org. "However, it appears that
these publics would like to see the international community put
pressure on their governments to raise their standards."
These findings are part of multinational study by The Chicago Council
on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org, in cooperation with
polling organizations around the world. The larger survey includes
17 countries–China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Russia,
Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines,
Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel, Armenia– and the Palestinian
territories.
This is the second in a series of reports based on the survey analyzing
international attitudes on key international issues. Not all questions
were asked in all countries.
The US public is nearly unanimous in its support of requiring that
both labor (93%) and environmental standards (91%) be included in
trade agreements.
The Bush administration has opposed the inclusion of such rules in
the past, fearing that they would complicate trade negotiations and
might force the United States to change some of its own labor laws.
"The American public is clearly concerned that trade agreements fail
to protect either workers or the environment," said Christopher
Whitney, executive director for Studies at The Chicago Council on
Global Affairs. "This strengthens the hand of those in Congress who
share this apprehension, particularly as the White House increases
its willingness to negotiate these issues with Congress in advance
of the June expiration of the President’s Trade Promotion Authority."