More than 300 international and regional organizations from 90 countries expressed profound and urgent opposition to the digital trade rules that are being negotiated in the World Trade Organization (WTO). “Some countries have declared their intent to rewrite the rules of the global economy, to give giant technology corporations, the largest companies in the world, new “rights” to profit – while limiting public interest oversight and benefits from the new economy for everyone else”, states the letter, signed by DAWN and other organizations, including global union federations, development advocates, consumer organizations, and environmental groups.

The rules that are being discussed at WTO would severely constrain the ability of countries to develop their economies in the future and would accelerate the global disadvantaging of workers and small enterprises in all countries vis-à-vis large corporations. They represent a grave threat to development, human rights, labor, and shared prosperity around the world, and are the opposite of the policies needed to rein in the power of Big Tech.

We reject how “gender” and “women’s economic empowerment” are being used in the WTO to push anti-development policies, which will reduce power of women workers. It is not acceptable to add a gender or labor clause, while the new rules proposed continue to reinforce structural inequalities between and within countries. “The most important strategy to ensure widespread and inclusive benefits from digitalization is a commitment to job creation towards full employment, focused on equity, including strong labor rights and decent work and working conditions for all workers; gender equality; workers’ data rights; and comprehensive and portable social protection including for platform workers.”

Read the Civil Society Letter Against Digital Trade Rules in the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Lee la Carta de la sociedad civil contra las reglas de la OMC en comercio digital

Read DAWN’s work on Gender Equality in the Digital Economy