Our role in the world
The Workers’ Party supports effective multilateralism based on a reformed and democratised United Nations.
The Workers’ Party oppose the use of WTO treaties and agreements as a means of entrenching capitalist domination of the developing and emerging economies.
In order to promote fair and democratic economic relations worldwide, Ireland must insist on a limit to the power of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO, and on a revitalisation of UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation).
The Workers’ Party is committed to:
- ending the illegal use of Shannon Airport by the US Airforce as a refuelling depot and transit hub.
- ending the illegal use of Shannon Airport by the CIA.
- fulfilling Ireland’s international human rights responsibilities by investigating the past and present use of Shannon airport for illegal activities, including extraordinary rendition by the CIA.
The Workers’ Party believes that the EU serves the interests of big business and the multi-national companies. This is clearly demonstrated by the plans for TTIP. The EU, and its vast bureaucracy, is inherently anti-democratic. It has been instrumental in the attacks on the social and economic conditions of working people. Irish neutrality is under attack. Fortress Europe is being constructed with contempt for democratic rights. Increasingly the EU coalesces with NATO in its aggression against sovereign states.
The so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is currently being negotiated in total secrecy by the EU and the USA. If allowed to pass it will be one of the most dangerous and damaging events for workers and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
TTIP aims to supersede the laws and economic regulations of individual states, and to punish those governments that fail to comply with the demands of international capital in courts staffed by corporate lawyers – the so-called Inter-State Dispute Resolution Mechanism.
TTIP seeks to transform the nature of labour relations for the sole benefit of the employer, by weakening the rules on health and safety both for workers and consumers, as well as environmental laws.
Under TTIP large international companies would be able to take control of the provision of essential public services such as health, education and water supply, and much else besides, purely in the interests of making profit and with no concern for the public good.
Therefore the Workers’ Party is totally opposed to the ratification of the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
