by
Susan Bryce
from
TheTunneller Website
"What if the Global Power Elite are part
of these reptilian bloodlines, still controlling and ruling Planet
Earth as their own private galactic fiefdom?
Uri Dowbenko
New Reptilian World Order
"...a very similar event took place thousands of years ago,
and that
event is what created the Time Spiral for the aeons
of enslavement
and control of the world’s masses at large.
Excerpt from a letter to
Val Valerian -
Leading Edge International Research Journal #123
Susan Bryce is an
investigative journalist and researcher. Her interests
include democracy and freedom, the technologies of
political control, environmental health and global
politics.
She can be contacted at PO Box 66 Kenilworth Qld
Australia 4574, or on +61 0754 723060. Email:
sbryce@squirrel.com.au
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In the post cold war era, a
New World Order is evolving by economic,
as much as political means. As the aggressive scramble for global
wealth unfolds, international banks and corporations are anxious to
play a direct role in shaping financial structures and ’policing’
economic reforms. The old institutions of ‘shadow government’ -- the
Trilateral Commission, the
Bilderberg Group, the
Club of Rome and
the
CFR, have been usurped by a new economic elite. This article
looks at several of these elite groupings and their effects on the
international political and economic landscape.
With a relentless drive to control the productive assets, labour,
natural resources and institutions of sovereign nations, the new
economic elite no longer cower behind closed doors. Their agendas
are no longer a shadowy secret. Their activities are openly
reported.
Their policy papers are embraced by governments. Their
members are the respected ‘leaders’ of transnational corporations (TNCs).
Collaboration between them occurs at the highest level. The new
economic elite use esteemed groupings such as the World Economic
Forum and bodies such as the World Trade Organization to achieve
their singular goal: profit maximization through economic
globalization.
THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM - WEF
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is arguably one of the most
influential elite groupings. It is a membership-organization which
promotes interaction among leaders from government, business,
academia and the arts with the vague objective of ‘improving the
state of the world.’
Membership of the WEF is comprised of over 800 chief executives,
some 200 government leaders, numerous high ranking officials from
regional and international organizations, some 300 experts,
scientists, artists and representatives of the media. Major firms
from all sectors of business and industry are represented.
The World Economic Forum organizes high-level meetings and summits,
the largest and best-known of which is its Annual Meeting held in
the ski resort of Davos in eastern Switzerland. This week-long
meeting, informally known as the Davos Symposium, brings together
the leaders of transnational corporations to discuss their positions
and meet politicians at the highest level.
World Trade
Organization
issues feature often on their agenda and have informally influenced
WTO policy-making through discussions regarding global issues and
business contracts. At the beginning of the eighties, the WEF played
a major role in launching the Uruguay Round.
The World Economic Forum is arguably a world
government in waiting. It not only is a forum for the development of
economic policy, but is also a political arena. In 1988 the prime
ministers of Greece and Turkey, attending the annual meeting, signed
the ’Davos
Declaration,’ thereby moving their countries back from the brink of
conflict, and in 1994, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO
Chairman Yasser Arafat reached a draft agreement in Davos on Gaza
and Jericho.
The Foundation of the WEF encourages
’the creation of economic
regions as pillars of the world economy.’ The Foundation organizes
and runs regional and national meetings around the world. Such
meetings include the 1994 Europe/East Asia Economic Summit in
Singapore, the 1995 Southern Africa Summit, and the 1994 Middle
East/North Africa Summit held in Casablanca, Morocco, which was
convened in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations, and
which proposed mechanisms to support the peace process in the Middle
East.
The World Economic Forum also organizes annual national
meetings in a number of countries including Germany, India, China
and the United States.
CORPORATE PARTNERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER
It was at the 1999 WEF in Davos, that United Nations Secretary
General, Kofi Annan, announced the UN’s ’compact for the new
century’ with transnational corporations.
During his speech to assembled delegates, Annan stated,
’at a global
level, corporate control of the political and economic landscape is
being achieved by a new partnership forged with
the United Nations
(UN). The business community is fast becoming one of the United
Nations’ most important allies. A fundamental shift has occurred in
the UN-business relationship. The United Nations has developed a
profound appreciation for the role of the private sector: its
expertise, its innovative spirit, its unparalleled ability to create
jobs and wealth.
At the same time, business and industry are
recognizing the many virtues of the Organization's work for
political and social stability and for a predictable, rule-based
environment for trade and investment. In a world of common
challenges and common vulnerabilities, the United Nations
and business are finding common ground.’
’The dialogue
between the United Nations and the business
community is based on the conviction that expanding markets and
human security and well-being go hand in hand. That is why the
Organization’s doors are open to you as never before.’
The UN Secretary General then went on to elaborate upon the ways
that a ‘creative partnership’ between the UN and the private sector
could flourish. ’The goals of the United Nations and those of
business can, indeed, be mutually supportive,’ he said.
He described human rights abuses, dwindling labour standards and
environmental degradation as,
’legitimate concerns…but
restrictions on trade and impediments to investment flows are
not the best means to use when tackling them… instead, we should
find ways to achieve our proclaimed standards by other means.’
Discussing these ’other means’,
Kofi Annan advised that one way
would be through the international policy arena.
’You (the World Economic Forum
membership) can encourage States to give us the multilateral
institutions, the resources and the authority we need to do our
job.’
Evidence of this new corporate alliance within the UN is growing
steadily. The United Nations Development Program UNDP, with a mission of
serving the world’s poor, has solicited funds from global
corporations who are paying $50 000 each for UNDP patronage
privileges. In return, the corporations receive special UNDP
sanctioned logos.
Their financial contributions are held by the UNDP
sponsored Global Sustainable Development Facility, an entity which
the contributors themselves manage. Sponsors benefit from the advice
and support of the UNDP through a special relationship which affords
corporations unprecedented access to the UNDP’s network of offices,
high level governmental contracts and reputation.
Some of the transnationals which have contributed to the GSDF include:
-
Dow Chemical (USA)
-
Rio Tinto PLC (Britain)
-
Novartis (Switzerland)
-
Ericsson (Sweden)
-
Owens Corning (USA)
-
Oracle Corporation (USA)
-
Asea (Sweden/Switzerland)
-
Citibank (USA)
-
ABB Group (Sweden/Switzerland)
-
AT&T (USA)
-
Cultor Coproration (Finland)
-
ESKOM (South Africa)
-
Hennes and Mauritz (Sweden)
-
IKEA International (Sweden)
-
RWE (Germany)
-
Statoil (Norway)
-
Swedbank (Sweden)
-
Telia AB (Sweden)
The UN’s corporate agenda is continuing to gain momentum with the
recent announcement that the UN High Commissioner on Refugees is
co-chairing a new organization -- the Business Humanitarian Forum --
with UNOCAL, a company with one of the worst human rights and
environment records in the world.
Sitting together on the Board of
this new organization, which has been endorsed by Kofi Annan, are
both UNICEF -- an advocate for children’s rights -- and
Nestle, a
company which continues to violate a UN code of conduct on infant
formula designed to protect children.
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION - WTO
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is itself another elite grouping
of economic powerbrokers. The WTO covers a wide range of sectors
with implications for most aspects of life. These include,
The interests of Transnational Corporations play a crucial role in
WTO negotiations. While it is the 132 member countries who are
responsible for decision-making across the WTO’s
organizational
bodies, it is the private sector that increasingly influences the
policy positions of member countries. For the very large
transnational corporations the WTO is an important domain of trade
jurisdiction and a crucial determinant of the extent to which they
are able to operate unhindered.
As feared, in every case brought before it to date, the WTO has
ruled in favor of corporate interest, striking down national and
sub-national legislation protecting the environment and public
health at every turn. When an industry-backed governmental challenge
to a ‘disadvantageous’ national or local law is brought before the
WTO, the contending parties present their case in a secret hearing
before a panel of three totally unaccountable trade experts --
generally lawyers who have made careers of representing corporate
clients on trade issues.
There is no provision for the presentation of alternative
perspectives from non-governmental organizations, and documents
presented to the panel, and the identification of the panelists who
supported a position or conclusion, remain secret. If the offending
government fails to persuade the panel of the offending law’s
validity, it is legally and automatically bound to bring its law
into line with the lower international standard, or be subjected to
perpetual fines or trade sanctions.
Theoretically, there is a
process of appeal, but this is only possible if all member countries
vote to stop the decision within 90 days. A procedure designed to
ensure that appeals are unlikely to succeed.
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE - BIAC
There are also organizations within organizations that are driving
the forces of globalization. One example is the influential Business
and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) of the
Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which often influences
the position that the richer countries adopt in the WTO.
The
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and TNCs plays an important
role in BIAC.
INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - ICC
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) calls itself the
World
Business Organization for promoting international trade, investment
and the global market economy system, and rules governing the
conduct of business across borders. The ICC covers 7000 member
companies and associations from over 130 countries and ensures that
business concerns are brought to the attention of governments in a
coordinated way via its international presence.
Through its
Secretariat in Paris, it has access to the highest decision-makers
and staff from the World Trade Organization, the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development and the
UN. Many ICC members
are TNCs whose views predominate in the ICC’s policy positions.
The ICC has privileged access to the United Nations. In 1997, a
delegation of ICC members, including industry captains from Coca
Cola, Unilever, McDonalds, Goldman Sachs, and Rio Tinto Zinc made a
joint statement with UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan describing the,
’broad political and economic changes that have opened up new
opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between the UN and the
private sector.’
The two sides committed themselves to forge a,
’close global partnership to ensure
greater business input into the world’s economic decision making
and boost the private sector in the least developed countries.’
THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCE
- IIF
The Institute of International Finance (IIF)
is a mouthpiece for the
world’s largest banks and investment houses. In April 1998, it
proposed the creation of a ‘Financial Watchdog’ -- a so-called
’Private Sector Advisory Council’ -- with a view to routinely
supervising the activities of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In the wake of the Asian economic meltdown, the IMF was quick to
response to the IIF. The Fund called for concrete ’steps to
strengthen private sector involvement’ in crisis management in what
might be interpreted as a ’power sharing arrangement’ between the IMF and the global banks.
The agenda is to transform the IMF -- from its present status as an
inter-governmental body -- into a full fledged bureaucracy which
more effectively serves the interests of the global banks. More
importantly, the banks and speculators want access to the details of
IMF negotiations with member governments which will enable them to
carefully position their assaults in financial markets both prior
and in the wake of an IMF bailout agreement.
The international banking community has also set up its own high
level ’Steering Committee on Emerging Markets Finance’, integrated
by some of the world’s most powerful financiers including William
Rhodes, Vice Chairman of Citibank and Sir David Walker, Chairman of
Morgan Stanley. The global banks (pointing to the need for ’transparency’) have called upon
’the IMF to provide valuable insights [on its dealings
with national governments].’
EUROPEAN
ROUND TABLE - ERT
Since its creation in 1983, the European
Round Table (ERT) has
fostered top level cooperation between transnational corporations
and governments, at both national and European levels. It consists
exclusively of the Chief Executives (CEOs) of a number of TNCs based
in Europe such as Philips, Bayer, Unilever and Nestle. The ERT’s
powerful constituency gives it informal as well as formal access to
the highest ranking decision-makers including prime ministers and
the German Chancellor.
It makes its views well heard at the national and European levels by
means of short and authoritative reports, position papers and
face-to-face discussions. The ERT claims to have contact with the
EC, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, as well as
many international organizations such as the WTO. Every six months,
the ERT meets Ministers of the government holding EU presidency.
At
the national level, each Member keeps in personal contact with
decision-makers, parliament, business colleagues, industry
organizations and the press. It also works with the ICC, and the
Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). Research into the
ERT
demonstrates the considerable influence on European policy and
decision-making, and further, that its adopted position on the WTO
is reflected in EU trade policy.
TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS DIALOGUE - TABD
The TABD, the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, describes its
function as an informal process whereby European and American
companies and business associations develop joint EU-US trade policy
recommendations. Working together with the European Commission and
US Administration, they help shape US-EU trade policy including in
the WTO.
It is a unique process, driven by business leaders, because
of the personal involvement of CEOs working closely with the highest
levels of government from the EU and US. It is not an
organization,
but a framework drawing on the resources of existing companies and
organizations, to deliver joint industry messages. The results are
considered much more efficient than the traditional structures for
government-business consultation.
The United States and EU businesses form working groups and produce
reports which are then used to inform policy-makers. The Working
Group on Global Issues addresses matters arising in the WTO such as,
services negotiations, the Information Technology Agreement (ITA),
government procurement, intellectual property, investment and
competition. ITA meetings are chaired by representatives from
Olivetti and Compaq.
Further consultation and lobbying occurs at a yearly conference
which bring together CEOs and senior-level government
representatives, including the highest level decision-makers such as
the WTO Director-General and the EC Commissioner for Trade. This
combination of CEOs and senior government representatives have
proved to provide an unprecedented opportunity to achieve
breakthroughs on challenging issues.
The US and EU co-chairs of the TABD participated in the EU-US Summit in The Hague in May 1997 with
US President Clinton, European Commission President Santer and Dutch
Prime Minister Kok. The TABD representatives formally presented the
1997 TABD Priorities Paper which the political leaders regarded as
useful building blocks and inspiration to explore further
possibilities of liberalizing trade and investment flows.
UNITED STATES COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - USCIB
The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) has a
membership of over 300 multinationals, law firms and business
associations. It constitutes a special pressure group that promotes
the interests of US TNCs to intergovernmental organizations
including the OECD, the WTO, and different UN bodies, with which its
international affiliates have official consultative status.
It is
the American affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD.
The USCIB formulates its positions in over forty committees and
other working bodies composed of corporate and other experts drawn
from its membership.
THE GLOBALIST AGENDA
The groupings discussed in this paper are collective policy arms of
transnational corporations. As governments increasingly fear the
response of world markets to their policies, they look towards the
new economic elite, not their own constituents, to provide
direction. This ‘direction’ -- so far -- has resulted in,
-
massive
economic breakdown in some nations
-
insecurity in all nations
-
unprecedented hardships for millions of people
-
growing unemployment
and dislocation in all regions
-
direct assaults on environmental and
labor conditions
-
loss of wilderness and biodiversity
-
massive
population shifts
-
increased ethnic and racial tensions
-
and other
disastrous results
Through elite economic forums, companies are finding
new ways of
limiting the power of states. Instead of alienating governments,
important actors, and institutions -- transnational corporations
have co-opted them.
Just as a series of regional trade groupings
gave way to the World Trade Organization, the 21st century will no
doubt see a further consolidation in the power of elite economic
policy and advisory groups as the corporate partners of the New
World Order are unmasked.
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