Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said it was deeply ironic that the World Trade Organisation, which claims free trade
increases human rights, is holding a Ministerial meeting in Qatar where political protest is illegal.
WTO director Mike Moore has announced the next WTO Ministerial Meeting is to be held in Qatar, an Arab state on the
Persian Gulf which is governed by a monarchy without democratically elected institutions or political parties, between
November 5 - 9 this year.
"I think it is both incredible and outrageous that this organisation which claims to support global human rights has
decided to hold a meeting in a nation with no commitment to either human rights or democracy," said Mr Donald.
"Clearly the surging opposition to free trade and globalisation over the last year is behind this choice of venue."
The latest report from the US State Department on Qatar, published last year, found that the government severely
restricts freedom of assembly, limits freedom of association and does not permit political parties or membership of
other organisations critical of the Government.
"Holding a meeting in Qatar is a further blow to the credibility of not just the WTO but of the whole globalisation
agenda," said Mr Donald.
"I call on Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton to urge the WTO to abandon the Qatar meeting."