On the third day of the WTO's MC13 in Abu Dhabi, non-governmental representatives have denounced the interruption of their regular operations under the pretext of security.

The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will conclude in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday. It started on Monday. Ministers from all around the world are in attendance at the meeting to discuss future WTO initiatives and to assess how the multilateral trade system is operating.

During the first two days of the meeting, three NGO representatives were temporarily detained on a variety of charges. A leader of Indian peasants, one of them, gave a paper to a journalist he knew.

He was taken into custody right away on suspicion of distributing flyers within the conference center, which is a detainable offense.

Due to their photography within the convention center, two further non-government delegates from Norway and the United States were placed under arrest. In addition, a press statement received here on Wednesday afternoon stated that the security officers halted the distribution of leaflets, seized signs, and prevented them from taking pictures of their acts.

"This is my eleventh MC, and I have never witnessed suppression of this magnitude before. The WTO Secretariat has maintained that it is making efforts to reach a consensus with the host nation.

However, there is no proof that the DG, who is well-known for having the ability to, let's say, get her way when she pleases, is pressing for the restoration of our rights. stated Deborah James, the worldwide coordinator of the CSO (Civil Society Organization) network Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS).

This ministerial conference has been hailed as the most "open, transparent, and inclusive process" to date by WTO Director General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. However, Ms. James continued, that her organization is not doing enough to guarantee that participants understand that the WTO's guidelines and accepted wisdom about what civil society can accomplish apply to MC13.

"Participants, particularly those from poor nations, are afraid to simply stroll about the conference center by themselves these days for fear of being wrongfully arrested, perhaps deported, and then unable to obtain visas in the future. The announcement quoted Rahmat Maulana Sidik, executive director of Indonesia for Global Justice, as saying, "This climate of fear should not be the result of advocacy in an institution of global economic governance."

"From my homeland, it was a long trip to Abu Dhabi. I came here to do my work, and I don't feel comfortable enough to carry out my regular duties during ministerial conferences. Sofia Scasserra, an Argentine researcher with the Transnational Institute, stated, "I am paralyzed from doing what I am supposed to do because I am not sure if I will be detained just for giving away my research."

According to EquityBD Policy Research Coordinator Barkat Ullah Maruf, NGO representatives must participate. This is because they provide a variety of data and analysis to assist public servants in making choices that affect the general public. But he continued, "Such obstruction is abhorrent."

End//voice7news.tv