Global: A gender perspective on the WTO Hong Kong meet

The outcome of the December 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial has been strongly criticized by civil society organizations and social movements for securing substantial concessions from developing countries while providing them with hardly anything in return. The Hong Kong text represents an empty package of commitments and development rhetoric that in fact will primarily benefit the global corporate agenda and select interests. As negotiators prepare for a follow-up Ministerial in March or April 2006, it is important to reflect on the outcome of the Hong Kong Ministerial and take stock of the concrete “measures” derived from it and their consequences for men and women in the developing world.