-
BASEL PARTIES DEBATE E-WASTE, PATCHWORK OF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS RULES
BASEL PARTIES DEBATE E-WASTE, PATCHWORK OF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS RULES Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal recently debated the difference between reusable electronic products and obsolete electronic waste with hazardous components that poses a serious problem when dumped in developing countries. The Basel Convention’s…
-
CODEX TO LAUNCH NEW WORK ON SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF GM TRACES IN FOOD
CODEX TO LAUNCH NEW WORK ON SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF GM TRACES IN FOOD The Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology, at its meeting in Chiba, Japan, from 27 November to 1 December, agreed to a US proposal to undertake new work on developing guidance on safety assessment in situations of accidental…
-
WTO FISH SUBSIDIES TALKS FOCUS ON ROLE OF FAO
WTO FISH SUBSIDIES TALKS FOCUS ON ROLE OF FAO After several months of suspension following the collapse of the trade talks in July, countries on 12 December restarted discussions on how to discipline fisheries subsidies in the WTO, albeit in informal mode. The largely technical debate focused on the possible role of external input, notably from…
-
WIPO'S IGC AGREES NEW PARALLEL TRACK PROCEDURE TO ADDRESS TK, FOLKLORE
WIPO’S IGC AGREES NEW PARALLEL TRACK PROCEDURE TO ADDRESS TK, FOLKLORE Recent discussions on traditional knowledge (TK) and folklore at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) led to a new approach to work in this area. As members did not converge around a single track, they agreed on a two-track approach focusing on both draft provisions…
- In Brief
-
Europe Adopts Comprehensive Chemicals Legislation
Following three years of negotiations, the European Parliament adopted a comprehensive law on the manufacturing, marketing, import and use of chemical substances on 13 December. Entitled REACH — Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals — the legislation aims to protect consumers and the environment against the adverse effects of chemicals found in products like…
-
Burkina Faso to Introduce GM Cotton
Burkina Faso, a leading cotton producer in West Africa, recently announced that its farmers will be allowed to plant genetically modified (GM) cotton in the 2007 growing season. The country initiated field trials in 2003 with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). According to Agriculture Minister Salif Diallo “this new technology…
-
Experts Call for Research into Potential Dangers of Nanotechnology
A team of experts have called for a programme of systematic risk research into the potential dangers of nanotechnology in consumer products. The team stated that while fears over nanotechnology’s risks may be exaggerated, they are not necessarily unfounded, and they merit further research. Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating materials on a tiny molecular scale.…
- 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. 14-16 December, Bangalore, India: 3RD FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS…
- 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 for review by the BRIDGES staff to Malena Sell. ICTSD Resources FISHERIES, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: POLICY DISCUSSION PAPER. October 2006. This policy discussion paper aims to provide policy-makers, scientists, advocates, journalists and…