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Developing Countries Wary of Additional Commitments in WIPO
Developing Countries Wary of Additional Commitments in WIPO Meeting for the WIPO [World Intellectual Property Organization] Assemblies on 23 September to 1 October, WIPO member states widely criticised the Director-General’s proposed agenda for the international patent system, which many saw as going far beyond the scope of WIPO’s mandate. Also among the contentious issues on the…
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EU Snagged by WWF Criticism of Fisheries Agreement with Angola
EU Snagged by WWF Criticism of Fisheries Agreement with Angola The environmental organisation WWF earlier this week came down hard on the EU for signing a fishing agreement with Angola worth 15.5 million Euros that they say would further threaten resource health and a food source in a nation grappling with a food crisis. WWF alleges…
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GMO Update: Southern Africa; EU Regulations
GMO Update: Southern Africa; EU Regulations SADC Summit Provides Guidance On GMOs On 3 October, this year’s summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) concluded in Luanda, Angola. In their final communiqué, member states endorsed the SADC Council of Ministers’ decision to set up an Advisory Committee on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) "to develop guidelines…
- In Brief
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Increased Illegal Trade in Ivory Linked to November CITES Meeting?
On 26 September Chinese custom officials found a major shipment of illegal ivory at Waigaoqiao Port. The shipment, which came from Mombasa, Kenya contained 3.6 ton of illegal ivory, hidden under wood boards. The Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) believes that, although the shipment came from Kenya, the ivory does not stem from poached Kenyan elephants,…
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Peruvian Coffee Farmers Peg Hopes on Fair Trade
Peruvian farmers in Alto Incariado have pinned their hopes on growing “fair trade” coffee that bears a seal telling consumers that their more expensive coffee was not produced at the expense of farmers’ wages or labour rights, the environment, or child labour. The Fair Trade Labeling Organisation (FLO), the largest fair trade certifier, buys the…
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Patents Threaten TK Holders’ Livelihoods in Asia, Report Says
Transnational corporations (TNCs) and national governments in their attempt to commercialise plant genes for profit are “destroying a wealth of genetic resources and livelihoods” throughout Asia, according to a new report released by the Barcelona-based group Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN) and the Indian environmental organisation Kalpvriksha. These activities are contributing…
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US Organics to be Certified
Beginning on 21 October, it will become mandatory for all American producers that sell more than USD 5,000 a year in organic agricultural products to seek certification from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to sell, label or represent products as organic. Former Agricultural Secretary Dan Glickman believes the new USDA certification process to be…
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In Brief
INCREASED ILLEGAL TRADE IN IVORY LINKED TO NOVEMBER CITES MEETING? On 26 September Chinese custom officials found a major shipment of illegal ivory at Waigaoqiao Port. The shipment, which came from Mombasa, Kenya contained 3.6 ton of illegal ivory, hidden under wood boards. The Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) believes that, although the shipment came from Kenya,…
- Events
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Events
For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. Please bear in mind that dates and times of WTO meetings are often changed, and that the WTO does not always announce the important informal meetings of the different bodies. Coming up in the next two weeks 8 -…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy or review by the BRIDGES staff to Heike Baumüller. MUGGED: POVERTY IN YOUR COFFEE CUP. By OXFAM, 2002. This report looks at the "crisis" in the coffee sector that is threatening the livelihoods…