INTERFAITH STATEMENT ON TRADE
2. International trade and investment activities should advance the common good and be evaluated in the light of their impact on those who are most vulnerable.
In order for trade and investment practices to enhance the well being of people, private enterprise should advance distributive justice, sustainable human development, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation. Trade and investment should assist societies to meet social needs, such as secure livelihoods, health and education, and to realize the benefits of scientific discovery, cultures, and spiritual heritages. Among the world's impoverished populations, women and children are often those who are most vulnerable.
We observe:
- Increasing inequalities between wealthy and impoverished people.
- Increasing deterioration in the health and well-being of the world's impoverished people.
- Growing concentrations of impoverished people in selected regions of the world.
- A tendency toward exploitation and commodification of nature, people, and their cultures.
- An arms trade that constitutes an integral part of the global economy.
- Trade and investment that have sometimes resulted in the forced displacement of populations.
- Certain instances where trade and investment have improved the well-being of impoverished people, helping to provide meaningful employment and improved standards of living.
We envision:
Trade and investment relationships that uphold principles of social and economic justice, enhance the material and spiritual well-being of all (through means such as equitable distribution, fair working conditions, and meaningful employment), and promote the advancement of women in social and economic development.
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