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EU, China Biotech Regulations Under Microscope at WTO
EU, China biotech regulations under microscope at WTO China’s and the EU’s biotechnology regulations were among the issues of discussion at the meeting of the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) on 15 March and the WTO Committee for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) at its meeting on 19-21 March. EU labelling and traceability rules Argentina,…
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Codex Adopts Biotech Food Standards; ICPM Sets up Working Group on LMOs
Codex adopts biotech food standards; ICPM sets up working group on LMOs The Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived From Biotechnology recently adopted two standards of foods derived from biotechnology, namely principles for risk analysis and guidelines for conducting safety assessments. While these standards only apply to food safety, they are likely to have far…
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UN Forest Forum: Delegates Discuss Trade and Certification
UN Forest Forum: Delegates Discuss Trade and Certification Delegates at the Second Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-2) in New York (4-15 March), discussed, inter alia, the relevance of trade policies and certification systems in sustainable forest management. They, however, failed to finalise one of the main agenda items, namely to establish the…
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Little Headway on Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity at TRIPs Council
Little Headway on Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity at TRIPs Council During discussions on patentability of life forms, traditional knowledge and biodiversity, WTO Members at the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) on 5-7 March largely repeated previously stated positions with the main decisions restricted to procedural matters. Discussions also focused on…
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CITES Eases Trade Restrictions After Parties Pledge to Improve Wildlife Management
CITES Eases Trade Restrictions After Parties Pledge to Improve Wildlife Management At the close of a four day meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) agreed on 15 March to lift or modify imposed trade measures in response to pledges by…
- In Brief
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Philippines Considers Biotech Regulations
The Philippine government plans to require importers to notify whether their products contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the Department of Agriculture announced on 13 March. As stated in draft rules drawn up by the Department of Agriculture in consultation with various agencies and sector representatives, the government would compile a list by 30 June 2003…
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Whale Meat Trade Ban Likely to Stay in Place, Says IWC
Chairperson of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Bo Fernholm, said in an interview earlier this month that Members of the global whaling body were unlikely to revoke the current ban on commercial whaling at the upcoming IWC’s annual meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan, on 20-24 May. He pointed out that the differences between the pro-whaling camp…
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Intersection of Biotech and SD Addressed at Alexandria Conference
At a 16-19 March International Conference on “Biotechnology and Sustainable Development: Voices of the South and of the North” held in Alexandria, Egypt — co-sponsored by the government of Egypt together with international organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNESCO, the World Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD)…
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UNEP Fisheries Trade Workshop Highlights Challenges Facing Policymakers
On 15 March, a Workshop on Impacts of Trade-Related Policies on Fisheries and Measures for Sustainable Fisheries Management organised by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) brought together government and non-governmental participants to address some of the most difficult and politically sensitive issues in the trade and sustainable development interface. The meeting focused on general impacts…
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In Brief
Philippines Considers Biotech Regulations The Philippine government plans to require importers to notify whether their products contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the Department of Agriculture announced on 13 March. As stated in draft rules drawn up by the Department of Agriculture in consultation with various agencies and sector representatives, the government would compile a list by…
- 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. For further information on WTO events, contact the WTO Information and Media Relations Division, Geneva; tel: (41-22) 739- 5007; fax: 739-5458; email: enquiries@wto.org. Coming up in the next two weeks 18-22 March, Monterrey, Mexico: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR…
- 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. Submissions of publications to ICTSD’s documentation centre would also be welcome (contact Matteo Rizzolli). GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: FIVE OECD CASE STUDIES. OECD, 2002.…