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Doha Negotiations Set To Pick Up Despite Lack Of New Offers
The faltering Doha Round trade talks appear set to pick up. At the time of going to press (31 January), WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy was in a heads-of-delegation meeting in Geneva. This comes hot on the heels of an agreement by trade ministers from leading Member countries to push for an accord, despite not having…
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Thailand Authorises Generic Production Of Two More Patented Drugs
Thailand’s government has issued compulsory licences for two medicines, one for HIV/AIDS and the other for heart disease, in order to reduce healthcare costs by allowing the production and import of cheaper generic versions of the patented drugs. Confirming the government’s decision on 29 January, Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said that suspending patent protections…
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In Attempt For Compromise, Pakistan Circulates Ideas On Agricultural 'Special Products'
In what it has described as an attempt to foster compromise on one of the more contentious issues in the Doha Round agriculture negotiations, Pakistan has circulated an informal paper suggesting options for dealing with ’special products’ (SPs). However, its ideas have not found favour with at least some other delegations. WTO Members have already agreed…
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Bush Calls For 20 Percent Reduction In Us Gasoline Use By 2017; Environmentalists Sceptical
In his 2007 State of the Union address, US President George W. Bush unveiled a plan to reduce the country’s use of gasoline by 20 percent in the next decade, by promoting alternative fuel sources and increased fuel efficiency standards for automobiles. Critics argue that the plan focuses too much on fuel alternatives of debatable…
- In Brief
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In Brief
INDIA, KOREA LOOK AHEAD TO FTA NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU Top officials from India and Korea have recently indicated that they expect to start free trade agreement (FTA) talks with the EU in the next few months. Agriculture, a perennial sticking point in trade negotiations, is not expected to pose too much of a problem: the two…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
INTERIM RULING FAVOURS ANTIGUA IN LATEST CHAPTER OF GAMBLING DISPUTE WITH US US trade officials acknowledge that the WTO appears to have handed Antigua and Barbuda another victory in its long-running dispute with Washington over restrictions on internet gambling and betting, according to Reuters . In 2003, Antigua challenged what it argued was effectively a US ban…
- Events
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Events
EVENTS For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. If you would like to submit an event, please email events@ictsd.ch. Upcoming : 1- 7 February 1 February, Online. BASIC COURSE ON INTERNATONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) is offering this basic course,…