• New Doha Approach Floated as Delegates Consider Late-Autumn Ministerial
    Trade officials in Geneva are considering a new approach to the Doha Round that would bypass the negotiation of modalities - the broad outlines of a deal that WTO Members have been struggling to forge for more than seven years - and move directly into scheduling countries’ specific commitments on cutting tariffs and reducing subsidy…
  • WIPO Committee Sees Movement on Development Agenda Implementation
    Discussions on the implementation of the WIPO Development Agenda (DA) concluded on a positive note last week as delegates succeeded in adopting a new thematic approach to implementing proposed activities that are meant to integrate development concerns into the organisation’s work. The third session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP), held from…
  • In Brief
  • Mexico, Canada Condemn Bans on Pork Exports
    Mexico and Canada have spoken out against bans on their pork exports that countries from China to Ecuador have put in place in response to the H1N1 flu virus. The pork exporters maintain that the restrictions contravene world trade rules and have no scientific basis.  “Mexico urgently requests all its trading partners to eliminate any restrictive…
  • Monsanto Sues Germany over GM Maize Ban
    Multinational agriculture giant Monsanto has followed through with its lawsuit against the German government over its recent decision to ban the cultivation of MON810, a strain of genetically modified maize that the firm produces. Berlin claims that its ban is based on environmental concerns, but Monsanto insists that the product, which has been approved by…
  • WTO in Brief
  • Lamy Tapped to Lead the WTO for Another 4 Years
    Pascal Lamy, a Frenchman who has served as director-general of the WTO since September 2005, will continue to lead the organisation for another four years, WTO Members unanimously confirmed last week. The announcement came as no surprise, as Lamy was running for the position unopposed. The former French bureaucrat has won many supporters at the WTO;…
  • Dispute Panel Established in Tuna-Dolphin Case, Despite US Objections
    The WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body agreed to establish a panel to hear Mexico’s complaint against US rules on ‘dolphin-safe’ tuna at its meeting on 20 April. The move drew criticism from Washington, which argues that the case should be adjudicated in the dispute settlement system set up under NAFTA, not the WTO. The establishment of the…
  • Events
  • Events
    4-15 May 2009, New York City, United States. SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. The Commission on Sustainable Development’s (CSD) two-year implementation cycle will focus on identifying policy options to advance implementation in relation to the thematic cluster issues of agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa. CSD 17 will build on…
  • Resources
  • Resources
    GLOBAL GREEN NEW DEAL – A POLICY BRIEF. By the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), March 2009. The “Global Green New Deal” presented in this policy brief has three broad objectives. It should make a major contribution to reviving the world economy, saving and creating jobs, and protecting vulnerable groups. It should promote sustainable and…