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Brazil Takes Action over UK Waste Shipment
Brasilia plans to pursue legal recourse against the United Kingdom for illegally exporting 1,400 tons of waste that were mislabeled as recyclable plastic. Brazil has invoked the settlement mechanism of the Basel Convention - a treaty that regulates cross-border movement of hazardous waste - and has threatened to request consultations with the UK at the…
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Peru Successful in Bid to Protect Traditional Knowledge
Peru has blocked several foreign companies from securing patents on products they say were developed using Peruvian traditional knowledge (TK). In the past several months, Peru’s National Commission Against BioPiracy has been able to show authorities from France, Japan, Korea, and the US that products submitted for patents failed to demonstrate the innovation and inventiveness…
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WIPO Conference Tackles Climate Change, Biodiversity
A high-profile World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) conference held recently in Geneva suggested a greater willingness from the UN agency to engage on public policy issues such as climate change, public health, biodiversity and food security. Speakers included a number of heads of UN agencies and multilateral organisations - such as the World Health Organization (WHO),…
- In Brief
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US Groups Push for EGS Agreement, With or Without Doha
Several major US trade groups have asked President Barack Obama to lower trade barriers for environmental goods and services (EGS), even if it means removing the talks on green trade from the WTO’s Doha Round of trade negotiations. The request came in the form of a letter signed by eight major US trade and business groups,…
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EU Seal Ban Approved, Canada Mulls Next Move
EU foreign ministers agreed to ban the import of seal products at a meeting on 27 July, amid pressure from domestic constituents. The ban has been hailed as a victory for animal rights groups but has drawn strong criticism from Canada, which says the embargo violates international trade rules. Canada’s annual seal hunt is the…
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Canada Drops WTO Complaint over EU Biotech Restrictions
Canada and the European Union have recently settled an ongoing trade dispute regarding Brussels’ restrictions on imports of genetically modified (GM) products. In exchange for Canada dropping its complaint at the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), the EU has agreed to meet two times per year with Canadian authorities to discuss issues relevant to trade…
- Events
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Events
Coming up in the next two weeks (7-21 August) 10-12 August, New Delhi, India. THIRD RENEWABLE ENERGY INDIA 2009 EXPO. A melting pot for global technologies, this expo will provide an opportunity for domestic industry and global entrepreneurs to witness the latest trends in renewable technologies and cultivate business opportunities within the Indian market. For more…
- Resources
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Resources
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SOYBEAN EXPANSION AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN BRAZIL’S AMAZON BASIN. Maria del Carmen Vera-Diaz, Robert K. Kaufmann, and Daniel C. Nepstad. The Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University. June 2009. This working paper highlights the environmental costs of agricultural expansion in the Amazon, and the particular need to include environmental…