Ottawa may soon join the 20-odd municipalities that have voted against the FTAA. The influential Committee voted unanimously to adopt a resolution on the
possible negative impacts on Municipal democracy of the proposed FTA) and the WTO's new round on the GATS. City Council will debate the resolution on the 5th of May.

Ottawa - The City of Ottawa’s Health, Recreation and Social Services
Committee voted unanimously last night (19 April) to adopt a resolution regarding the
possible negative impact on Municipal democracy of the proposed Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the World Trade Organization's new round
on the General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS)

The resolution recommends that City Council insist upon the protection of
municipal jurisdictions in areas such as public health, housing and the delivery
of services from international trade pacts. "We want our City Council to be able
to exercise their jurisdiction in ways that best promote the well-being of
citizens, local business and the environment" says Armand Cote of the Ottawa
Coalition to Protect Municipal Democracy Against International Trade Pacts.
"We believe that the way trade deals are being negotiated, City Council will
loose that ability. This resolution is not against trade, it is against undemocratic
trade rules. This is not an issue of the politics of the left or the right, this is an
issue about democracy."

"The Metalclad case, as an example, has taught us a painful lesson and a lot of
municipalities are now standing up and protecting their right to make
decisions, " says Mr. Cote. A NAFTA tribunal ordered the Mexican government
to pay Metalclad, a US based corporation, $16 million US because a Mexican
municipality, Guadalcazar, denied the company a permit to establish a
hazardous waste treatment facility in a bad location. The Metalclad facility
posed a clear threat to the municipality’s water table and water supply.

Similar resolutions to the one passed today by the Ottawa City Council
Committee on Health, Recreation & Social services, have been passed by 17
municipalities representing more than 1 million people, including the City of
Vancouver. "A real momentum is sweeping across the country", adds Mr. Cote.
" Municipal governments are sending a clear message that trade agreements
must not impede local needs and democracy."