Tewolde Egziabher, Ethiopian Delegate (left) - hero of WSSD (click photo to enlarge)
Photo: Leila Mead by kind permission of ENB/IISD

Tewolde Egziabher, Ethiopian Delegate - centre of jubilation at late night WSSD session that sidelined the WTO.

Greenpeace hailed this as WTO's 'First setback since Seattle'

In a late night intervention on Sunday (actually the wee hours of Monday morning) Tewolde Egziabher, Ethiopian Delegate, stimulated the first and only outburst of genuine delight and pleasure in the WSSD. His impassioned plea for removal of words ""while ensuring WTO consistency" gained enthusiastic support by "acclamation" - i.e. delegates clapped and cheered!

In the less florid words of the ENB report "In the evening session, a group of developing countries reversed their earlier position and, supported by some developed countries and economies in transition, recommended deleting the phrase "while ensuring WTO consistency." The Chair noted an overwhelming consensus, and the phrase was deleted with acclamation."

• 15 Sept: TEWOLDE EGZIABHER - "ONE GENUINE HERO" OF EARTH SUMMIT
  
  
• 2 Sept: Earth wins: first setback for WTO since Seattle Summit removes language that would have put trade first, Earth second.
  
  
• 2 Sept: Plans to promote GM crops defeated. American plans to force genetically modified crops and food on to Third World countries were unexpectedly frustrated at the Earth Summit last night. Independent newspaper, UK Tewolde Egziabher, Ethiopian Delegate, made an impassioned midnight plea that achieved unanimity amongst most delegates to ditch the WTO compliance clause.
  
  
• BACKGROUND PAPER - Darwin Lecture 2002: The Human Individual and Community in the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Resources. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, Ethiopia