Alternative Trade

In this brochure (Dutch) the ‘Handel Anders!’ coalition, of which SOMO is a member, highlights both the necessity and opportunity for a change in international trade policy, as well as how this change can be achieved.

The first section highlights the basic principles for the revision of global trade: democracy, transparency, universal human rights, and policy coherency. These principles must be future-proof . The second section discusses what concrete objectives we have for each of these principles. Section three proposes how trade reform can be organised on an international level. Part four comprises a series of concrete proposals on five policy areas that can lead to a socially just and sustainable trade system. Finally, we will dive into a number of specific subjects.

The prologue is written by Jan Pronk, a former Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation. Others that contributed to the report (in addition to the authors) are: Bart-Jaap Verbeek (SOMO), Burghard Ilge (BothENDS), Freek Bersch (Milieudefensie), FNV-werkgroep Handels- en Investeringsakkoorden, Karin van Boxtel (BothENDS), Lavinia Steinfort (Transnational Institute) en Myriam Vander Stichele (SOMO).