Bridges Trade BioRes

Volume 6 • Number 21 1st December 2006

  • CLIMATE, ENERGY FEATURE IN TRADE DISCUSSIONS
    CLIMATE, ENERGY FEATURE IN TRADE DISCUSSIONS Climate change made headlines at a trade meeting between Pacific rim nations in Vietnam, although participants remained divided in their approach to the issue. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum — held in Hanoi from 18-19 November to discuss trade issues, including the Doha Round — brought together countries…
  • NAIROBI CLIMATE MEETING FOCUSES ON FUTURE CLIMATE ACTION
    NAIROBI CLIMATE MEETING FOCUSES ON FUTURE CLIMATE ACTION Amid rising greenhouse gas emissions and a heightened focus on the economic costs of global warming, a two-week long UN climate change conference in Nairobi left both government delegates and civil society representatives with the feeling that they had accomplished little. The UN Climate Change Conference - Nairobi 2006,…
  • COMMENTARY: BIOFUELS BUZZ CONTINUES IN NAIROBI, GENEVA
    COMMENTARY: BIOFUELS BUZZ CONTINUES IN NAIROBI, GENEVA Biofuels, a hot topic connecting the trade and climate communities, drew significant attention at the UN Climate Change Conference held from 6-17 November in Nairobi — particularly at side events and in the corridors. The potential of these clean-burning natural fuels in developing countries was further explored at an…
  • EU Decides Not to Appeal WTO Biotech Ruling
    The European Commission has decided not to appeal the WTO panel ruling against the EU’s application of its approval procedures (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 6 October 2006), letting the 28 November deadline for lodging an appeal elapse. Several civil society groups have sharply criticised Brussels’ decision, voicing concerns that some of the panel’s conclusions could…
  • DOHA ROUND TALKS RESUME IN GENEVA
    DOHA ROUND TALKS RESUME IN GENEVA Geneva-based trade diplomats have stepped up the pace of talks at the WTO after receiving the green light from Director-General Pascal Lamy to resume discussions on all issues in the troubled Doha Round negotiations. The chairs of most of the negotiating groups have been consulting with delegations to try to…
  • VIETNAM SET TO ENTER THE WTO, IMPLEMENT NEW ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES
    VIETNAM SET TO ENTER THE WTO, IMPLEMENT NEW ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES Vietnam, a resource-rich country and major exporter of textiles, seafood, coffee and furniture, is set to become the 150th member of the WTO. In parallel with efforts to support its rapidly growing economy, the country is also undertaking an overhaul of its environmental policies. Vietnam ratified…
  • In Brief
  • Washington Pleges to Help Indonesia Combat Illegal Logging
    Washington and Indonesia signed an agreement on 16 November to work together to put an end to illegal logging in the Southeast Asian island nation. The US pledged an initial US$1 million for programmes to help save the threatened forest habitat that is home to, among other, the world’s remaining 50,000 to 60,000 orangutans. The money…
  • WTO Members Agree in Principle to Extend Conflict Diamon Waiver
    WTO Members have agreed in principle to renew for six years a decision allowing countries to block trade in conflict diamonds. At a meeting on 20 November, the Council for Trade in Goods accepted the text of a draft deal that would allow parties to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for Rough Diamonds to continue to…
  • Tough Day for Marine Conservationists as Stringent Tuna Quotas Fail
    Wrapping up a 10-day meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia, ICCAT (the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) announced a reduction of the annual bluefin tuna fishing quota to 25,500 tonnes by 2010; a mark which is roughly 75 percent of the current quota of 32,000 tonnes. The new quota will apply to the Eastern…
  • European Commission Proposes Ban on Trade in Cat and Dog Fur
    On 20 November, the European Commission introduced a proposal to ban imports, exports and sales of cat and dog fur. The legislation is being introduced on animal welfare grounds, based on active requests by civil society organisations and Members of the European Parliament. According to European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, consumers “do not…
  • Events
  • 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 30 November…
  • Resources
  • 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 Malena Sell. BIOFUELS PRODUCTION, TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: EMERGING ISSUES. By Annie Dufey. International Institute for Environment and Development, November 2006. Concerns about global warming, high…