Poor nations ‘cheated out of £69bn’

THE European Union and other industrialised countries swindle poor countries out of £69 billion every year, a leading charity claimed today.

Oxfam said the "global rip-off", caused by unfair trade laws, was costing developing countries more than they receive in international aid and is trapping millions of people in poverty.

It was today launching a worldwide campaign for fairer trade rules, which it said were being rigged by prosperous countries such as Britain and the United States.

"For every dollar donated in aid, two dollars is being stolen from poor countries through unfair trade," Oxfam’s director Barbara Stocking said. "Trade rules are rigged denying poor people their best chance to escape poverty.

" This cannot be allowed to continue."

A report into the issue, prepared by the charity, claims that 128 million people could escape poverty if countries in Africa, Latin America and east and south Asia could increase their share of world exports by just one per cent.

It said trade rules were rigged by subsidising farmers in richer countries, whose crops are then exported, forcing down prices worldwide, and through high import taxes on products from the developing world.

Multi-national corporations are allowed to "ride roughshod" over workers’ rights and markets in poorer countries are exploited, the report said. Oxfam launched its campaign with a series of events worldwide, including several in Britain, timed to coincide with the start of work on new trade negotiations by the World Trade Organisation.

The charity aims to get millions of people worldwide to add their voices to its Big Noise campaign, an audio petition.

It has already attracted support from high-profile figures including Brit band Coldplay and U2 singer Bono.

The singer said: " Oxfam has got it right. It wouldn’t cost much to change the rules of trade so that poor countries can work their way out of poverty. But the world’s leaders won’t act unless they hear enough people telling them."