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SCIENTISTS URGE UN TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
SCIENTISTS URGE UN TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE A group of eminent scientists have delivered a cautionary message on climate change to diplomats at UN headquarters in New York, focusing on options for mitigation and adaptation. The new UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, also raised the issue for the first time since taking office, speaking to…
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COUNTRIES SET STAGE FOR DEBATE ON SUSTAINABILITY OF TRADE AT CITES CONFERENCE
COUNTRIES SET STAGE FOR DEBATE ON SUSTAINABILITY OF TRADE AT CITES CONFERENCE The question of whether to allow limited trade in threatened species continues to divide parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The secretariat recently released proposals to be discussed at the next Conference of the…
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STANDARD LAUNCHED FOR COLLECTION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS
STANDARD LAUNCHED FOR COLLECTION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS A new standard to promote the sustainable management and trade of wild medicinal and aromatic plants was launched on 16 February at the World Organic Trade Fair in Nuremberg, Germany. The standard promotes appropriate management of wild plants to ensure that plants used in medicine and cosmetics are not…
- In Brief
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Global Organic Agriculture Continues to Grow
Annual statistics on global organic agriculture show growth both of production and of markets. The ninth edition of ‘The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends’ was released in mid-February by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Foundation Ecology and Agriculture (SOEL) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). According…
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EU Ministers Uphold Hungary's GM Ban
On 20 February, EU member states voted by a qualified majority to uphold a Hungarian ban on genetically modified MON 810 maize, which the European Commission had approved in 1998. Five European countries instituted such national level bans between the years 1997 and 2000. According to a recent WTO ruling, national-level biotech bans cannot be justified…
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New Report Highlights Trade-Related Measures for Fisheries Management
Conservation organisation TRAFFIC recently released a report calling for effective management of fisheries in order to safeguard their future health and survival. Entitled “Catching On? Trade-Related Measures as a Fisheries Management Tool,” the report focuses on trade-related measures taken by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). The measures examined include the use of…
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Illegal Wildlife Trade Initiative Goes Global
A US-led initiative to fight wildlife crime was internationally launched in February this year. The Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) aims to “boost wildlife enforcement, reduce consumer demand for illegally traded wildlife and generate high level political support to end the unlawful industry.” Claudia McMurray, US Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental…
- 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 4-11…
- 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 for review by the BRIDGES staff to Malena Sell. THE ECONOMICS OF ILLEGAL LOGGING AND ASSOCIATED TRADE. By Arnoldo Contreras-Hermosilla, Richard Doornbosch and Michael Lodge (OECD, 2007). This paper outlines the nature, magnitude…