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Moore Addresses African Trade Ministers - Pledges Balanced Outcome From Seattle Talks
African trade ministers met in Algiers from 23-25 September to finalise a common negotiating position for the upcoming Third WTO Ministerial scheduled for 30 November - 3 December in Seattle. Ministers also discussed ongoing negotiations between African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the EU toward a new Lomé Convention, the trade and aid agreement…
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Trade-Labour Linkage Surfacing on U.S., EU Agendas
The EU and U.S. are both reportedly ready to include strong statements with respect to labour rights and the WTO in negotiating agendas. The U.S. is likely to demand that the WTO establish a work program addressing the linkage between trade and labour. The issue of trade and labour linkage is very divisive, cutting along North-South…
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EU Farm Ministers Agree on WTO Negotiating Stance
The EU last week finalised its negotiating position for the WTO talks on agriculture to launch later this year. The EU said it would “take an offensive line” in negotiations and set as its primary objective “safeguarding the future of the European model of agriculture, as an economic sector and as a basis for sustainable…
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World Bank/IMF Meet: Debt, Trade on Agenda
Finance ministers and central bank officials met from 21-30 September in Washington, D.C. for the joint annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, where among other things ministers discussed debt relief for the world’s poorest countries and the upcoming round of WTO trade negotiations. The IMF/World Bank Development Committee issued a statement calling on…
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Mercosur Settles Disputes - Ready to Move Forward
Trade tensions amongst Southern Cone Common Market trading partners (Mercosur, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay) could be receding after a difficult few months (see BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest Vol. 3, No. 33, 23 August, 1999, http://www.ictsd.org/html/story4.23-08-99.htm ). Trade disputes between its members have kept Mercosur from reaching a common position for upcoming WTO…
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In Brief
The UN from 27-28 September held the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly to review implementation of progress around the Programme of Action adopted at the 1994 Conference for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). At the meeting, the international community was urged to provide support to SIDS to improve and…
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On the Move
The Executive Directors of the World Bank on 27 September unanimously endorsed the reappointment of James Wolfensohn as President of the World Bank for a further term of five years beginning June 1, 2000. Mr. Wolfensohn first assumed the post of World Bank President in June 1995.…
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Events & Resources
For a more complete list of events, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar at http://www.ictsd.org/html/calendar.htm WTO MEETINGS An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted at http://www.wto.org/wto/about/meets.htm. 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 different WTO…