Take action for an immediate end to all economic liberalisation conditions attached to loans and debt relief.

The national campaigns involved in the Global Week of Action in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka call upon all other campaigns involved across the world to target the IMF and World Bank during the Global Week of Action, before their Spring Meetings on 16-17 April 2005.

This call to action was discussed at the India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Global Week of Action national consultations in October and December 2004, and first issued at the Global Week of Action seminar at the World Social Forum, in Porto Alegre on 29 January 2005.

For over two generations  economic liberalisation conditions have caused untold misery in these countries. They have been forced them to open their markets, privatise their essential services and reduce government support to farmers and industries.

This has resulted in increased poverty and inequality, the loss of food security, livelihoods, land and jobs, reduced access to public services, difficulty in developing manufacturing industries and the destruction of their communities. These conditions also mean that they are left with little to negotiate with when at the WTO or in when negotiating regional trade agreements. At as absolute minimum, the IMF and World Bank should not force countries to liberalise beyond their WTO commitments.

Country representatives are targeting  because they are the local face of the IMF and World Bank. Finance Ministers are targeting because they represent countries’ interests at the IMF and World Bank.