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About WDM
WDM's campaign successes
Here are some of WDM's campaign successes. Will you support us in our continuing fight for justice for the world's poor?
The World Development Movement has an honourable and proud record in leading the way - fighting for debt relief and the reduction of poverty around the world.
Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
- 2008 After thousands of supporters emailed Barclays bank, Barclays sold its shares in Global Coal Management a UK company pushing through a controversial mine in Bangladesh contract with Nepal. More
- 2007 Following our Climate change campaign, the government announces that they will replace air passenger duty with an environmental tax on planes. For the first time taxes on aviation will be linked to carbon dioxide emissions. More
- 2007 After many supporters emailed the company, Severn Trent withdraw from bidding for a water privatisation contract with Nepal. More
- 2007 After campaigning by the World Development Movement, Hilary Benn announces support for public water. More
- 2007 The government of Norway abandon funding for a controversial water privatisation scheme. More
- 2005 WDM celebrates! After years of pressure from campaigners, the government claims it will end the practice of making aid conditional on sensitive economic policy choices, such as trade liberalisation and privatisation. More
- 2005 WDM working as part of the Trade Justice Movement convinces the UK government to alter its view on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). WDM welcomes the government announcement that the EU should not make demands on developing countries, including issues such as investment, through EPAs. However, there is still a long way to go to make EPAs work for development. More
- 2005 WDM claims victory as UK water company, Biwater Plc, announces it has withdrawn from the bidding process for a controversial water privatisation in Ghana. More
The people of the lesser developed countries has suffered so much. There are those who have tried to change this. I give thanks to WDM and its work.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- 2004 WDM forces the government to publicly abandon its support for new EU negotiations on investment and competition agreements - two of the so-called 'New Issues' or 'Singapore Issues'.
- 2004 WDM congratulates Gordon Brown on listening to campaigners from WDM and the Jubilee Debt Campaign. The government has conceded to two of our core demands - that current levels of debt relief are inadequate and insufficient countries are included. More
- 2003 WDM and the Jubilee Debt Campaign force the Big Food Group (owners of Iceland food stores) to drop a claim to recover a £12 million debt from the tiny South American state of Guyana. More
- 2001 WDM exposes the GATS negotiations aimed at removing government regulation of services, which could threaten access to water, education and healthcare for the world's poor.
- 2000 WDM debunks the myth perpetuated by the biotech companies that genetic modification is the solution to world hunger. WDM campaigned for international recognition of the Biosafety protocol, and opened up the GMO debate in Britain to include the impact of GMOs on Third World farmers.
- 1999 The IMF announces proposals to link debt relief to poverty reduction - a key demand of WDM's 'Stop Sapping the Poor' campaign. Jubilee 2000, of whom WDM was a founding member, secured a G7 deal for improved debt relief and a commitment from Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to cancel up to 100% of poorest country debts to Britain.
WDM is an influential movement of people, committed to finding solutions to the root causes of world poverty. They are not afraid to deal with the issues head on. Join me by supporting WDM.
Benjamin Zephaniah
- 1998 WDM obtains a commitment from the British government in the December 1998 White Paper on Tobacco to take a lead role on the international stage in a landmark initiative to bring in global marketing standards.
- 1998 WDM leads the British part of the global campaign to postpone Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) governments from secretly signing the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI).
- 1998 The MAI would give more power to multinationals, and weaken governments' rights to stand up to them. Our fight to stop a 'MAI Mark 2' being negotiated in the World Trade Organisation continues.
- 1997 WDM convinces multinational Del Monte to allow trade unions on its banana plantations in Costa Rica. Now thousands of banana workers have the right to negotiate for better working conditions.
- 1997 WDM campaigning ends the Aid and Trade Provision, which used overseas aid to benefit British industry. More aid will now go directly to the world's poorest people.
- 1997 WDM pressurises the new Labour government to tighten up its arms export criteria in our campaign to stop arms sales to repressive regimes.
Whenever I hear politicians defending policies that are actually increasing injustice and suffering, I know that WDM will be on their case, confronting them and winning the argument
Anita Roddick, OBE
- 1996 After toy factory fires in Asia kill hundreds of workers, WDM forces toy multinationals to adopt a safety code in their Third World factories.
- 1995 WDM exposes massive Government subsidies to the British arms industry, and reveals the extent of British arms sales to repressive regimes.
- 1994 WDM's High Court victory over the Government stops the squandering of £234 million of aid on the Pergau dam in Malaysia. Now more aid is focused on the real needs of the poor.
Read more about WDM's current campaigns.
Support WDM and help bring justice for the world's poor.
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