Many trade unions and civil society organisations are making their voices heard as governments prepare to gather in Hong Kong for the 6th Ministerial meeting of the WTO this December. The ITF does this mainly through the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), as well as through the broader alliance with hundreds of other social organisations linked through the Global Call for Action against Poverty (GCAP). The WTO came into being in 1995, taking over from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which was founded half a century earlier. It has 148 members and engineers increasing liberalisation of trade in both goods and services under the new framework of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It also makes and enforces trade rules. Issues under discussion are dealt with through a complex set of councils, meetings and other bodies between ministerial meetings, which take place every two years.

At the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 22-24th November, Ministers from the 25 EU member states will decide on the future of the current EU sugar regime that is due to expire in 2006. Before the 25 Ministers is a proposal from the Commission outlining their proposed changes to the regime. In summary the main changes are:
* The EU internal (intervention) price will be cut by 39% over two years (2006-2008);
* 'Compensation' will be given to developing countries affected by loss of preferences within the EU sugar market. Currently the Commission proposes that the level of compensation would only be EUR40 million in the first year (no figures are provided for following years).

Do you want trade justice for the world's poor at the WTO in Hong Kong in December? Do you want millions of people to be given a chance to trade their way out of poverty? On the 13th December the World Trade Organisation will meet in Hong Kong. As representatives from around the world sit down they must take decisive steps to ensure that trade justice is delievered to the world's poorest people. As the developing world's representatives, the leaders of the following five alliances have it in their power to stand up to rich countries pressure and continue to press for trade justice. Write to them to tell them that they must act.

The first two white band days, and two of the three major international political opportunities for the Global Call to Action against Poverty are over. Our attention now turns to the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December, and to the run-up to that vital meeting. More than 30 million people have taken an action for GCAP in 2005 – whether that is from signing a petition, taking part in a rally, or wearing a white band. GCAP has shown that it can mobilise large numbers of people, in solidarity for our call to end poverty. We may not have won all the political decisions we had hoped for this year but we have made real progress. There is genuine political and civil momentum behind the call to end poverty. Ahead of major World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in December we must increase the pressure to make trade justice a reality.