Davos, 1 February 2000
NGO media release on the World Economic Forum:

The World Economic Forum in Davos has not seized the chance to reconsider economic policies after the failure of the Millenium Round in Seattle. Instead of bringing about "new beginnings," the Forum has "warmed up many old receipes," said Friends of the Earth/US and the Berne Declaration in Davos.

Since Seattle, there has been much discussion about better integrating social and environmental concerns into global economic policies. The Berne Declaration and Friends of the Earth/US criticized the closing World Economic Forum in Davos for having wasted an opportunity to reconsider international economic policies and governance issues in any forward-looking way.

"The 2000 Forum took place under the motto of 'New Beginnings.' Yet what we have seen instead is a confirmation of many old receipes," said Peter Bosshard of the Swiss advocacy organization, the Berne Declaration. Bosshard pointed out that Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Ernesto Zedillo and many other global leaders had essentially reaffirmed the agenda of unfettered trade liberalization, while making only vague references to the social and environmental concerns. "The world leaders present in Davos have not learnt the lesson of Seattle, " Bosshard concluded.

"It is disturbing that over the weekend, the launch of a new WTO round has been discussed behind closed doors again in Davos. Environmental and social concerns will only be mainstreamed if decision-making processes are made more participatory and transprarent," said Brent Blackwelder, the President of Friends of the Earth/US. Blackwelder - who participated in the official Forum and in independent NGO activities - criticized the WEF participants for not recognizing the need to reconsider their push for trade liberalization and economic globalization. "As long as economic policies are defined in exclusive elite gatherings like the WEF, opposition against economic globalization will increase around the world," the President of FoE/US maintained.
On 28 January, Friends of the Earth/US, the Berne Declaration and the Globalization Challenge Initiative launched the "Public Eye on Davos" project. Peter Bosshard and Brent Blackwelder regretted that WEF President Klaus Schwab "had so far not responded to the groups' calls for largely increased civil society participation in the Forum and for strengthened public oversight."