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Progress over Next Two Weeks Critical to Ministerial's Prospects
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy rolled the dice last week, summoning ministers to Geneva later this month in a risky bid to salvage a deal in the troubled Doha Round of trade talks. The move is a gamble. Despite recent progress, significant divisions persist, particularly on how deeply governments should have to cut farm subsidies and industrial…
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After 3-Year Hiatus, WIPO Patents Standing Committee Launches New Programme of Work
The WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP), under the chair of Maximiliano Santa Cruz (Chile), met from 23-26 June to discuss how the SCP should continue its work. The meeting, which followed a three-year break in the talks, occurred amidst much speculation about the fate of the negotiations on the Substantive Patent…
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High Food Prices Create Opportunity for Subsidy Reform, Report Says
Developed countries should take advantage of the current spike in commodity prices to reduce their agricultural subsidies, according to a report issued last week by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). “Not grasping the reform opportunities will prolong the life of policy measures that create imbalances,” the report said. State aid to farm producers in…
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TPR: Riding a Strong Economy, Oman Seeks to Diversify
Oman has experienced generally impressive economic performance, characterised by high real GDP growth of 5.3 percent, low inflation, and budgetary surpluses, according to a recent review by the WTO. However, the country could further boost its economy by removing restrictions on foreign direct investment in areas such as tourism, internal waterways and taxi transport, the…
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SPS Committee Considers Establishing Working Group on Private Sector Standards
The WTO Committee that deals with food safety and animal and plant health measures recently considered the option of creating a new group to look at the controversial issue of private sector standards. Members also discussed procedures for using the chair’s help to find a solution in cases in which parties disagree over the use…
- In Brief
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US, Vietnam to Deepen Economic Ties
The US and Vietnam agreed last week to initiate talks for a bilateral investment treaty during a visit to Washington by Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Tan Dung. When concluded, the investment deal would provide US investors in Vietnam additional legal protections and enhanced market access. Some consider the potential accord a prelude to a free trade…
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India, Myanmar Sign Four Economic Cooperation Agreements
India and Myanmar deepened their bilateral economic relations last week with the finalisation of four economic cooperation agreements. Along with an investment protection accord, India has agreed to provide Myanmar with US$ 84 million in loans and credits to expand the country’s power distribution network. The Bilateral Investment Promotion Agreement (BIPA), the first of the…
- Events
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Events
Coming up 3-9 July 4 July, Manila, Philippines. TOWARDS A MORE SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE CITY. To present the philosophy of sustainable urban design and architecture the event is based on the Bogota success story that focused on ‘building a city for people, not for cars’. The session is organised by Asian Development Bank’s Urban and…
- Resources
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Resources
ADDRESSING THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS: KEY TRADE, INVESTMENT AND COMMODITY POLICIES IN ENSURING SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY AND ALLEVIATING POVERTY. UNCTAD, 30 May 2008. Once the international community has begun to meet the most immediate challenges of the global food crisis, says UNCTAD in a new report, it should also use the crisis as a wake-up…