Which statement is incorrect regarding the 1999 WTO Ministerial Meeting and the protests in Seattle?

1. The protests were primarily focused on environmental issues.
2. Allegations of unfair trading practices were a significant cause of the protests.
3. The economically powerful states were accused of neglecting the interests of the developing world.
4. None of the above

1

Incorrect Statement: The protests were primarily focused on environmental issues.
The protests in Seattle during the 1999 WTO Ministerial Meeting were primarily driven by allegations of unfair trading practices and the perception that economically powerful states were neglecting the interests of the developing world.

In 1999, at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting there were widespread protests at Seattle alleging unfair trading practices by the economically powerful states. It was argued that the interests of the developing world were not given sufficient importance in the evolving global economic system. The World Social Forum (WSF) is another global platform, which brings together a wide coalition composed of human rights activists, environmentalists, labour, youth and women activists opposed to neo-liberal globalisation. The first WSF meeting was organised in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001. The fourth WSF meeting was held in Mumbai in 2004. The latest WSF meeting was held in Brazil in March 2018.