Christians Called to Prayer Ahead of WTO Talks in Hong Kong

Christians have been called upon to give prayerful support to the preparations of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance and other Christian groups ahead of the World Trade Organisation’s 6th Ministerial Conference that will take place in Hong Kong from 13 to 18 December.

|PIC1|A Day of Prayer on Trade has been scheduled for 11 December with churches around the world urged to include worship material on trade and human rights in their services to raise awareness of the WTO negotiations and the impact the global trade talks have on us all.

The particular issues of concern to the EAA regarding the impact of trade on human rights concerns the right to health, particularly access to medicines to treat HIV and AIDS, and the right to food.

A number of faith events will take place in Hong Kong around the Conference, including a conference on Globalising Economic Justice and Social Sustainability from 9 to 11 December.

The conference, sponsored by local faith organisations with the coordination of EAA participant the Christian Conference of Asia, will include presentations on, among other things, human security, food sovereignty and religion and globalisation.

|TOP|The EAA has also joint-organised the International Ecumenical Women’s Forum on Life-Promoting Trade from 12 to 14 December, which aims to provide a space to exchange stories of women’s experiences with WTO policies from various contexts, as well as deepen feminist theological reflection on WTO policies.

A number of faith events will also coincide directly with the Conference, including Ethics and the WTO Negotiations – Church Leaders Speak Out, and Peace for Life Roundtable – WTO, the Empire and Religious Wars: Taking the Faith Communities to the Front Lines.

Church service resources in relation to the WTO talks in Hong Kong can be accessed from the EAA website:

www.e-alliance.ch