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WTO General Council Chair Starts Ministerial Prep Process
In an endeavour aimed at moving preparations for the next WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar forward, General Council Chairman Stuart Harbinson (Hong Kong-China) issued a document to WTO Members last week posing six questions and urging them to determine whether there should be a “decision or a declaration” on a new round of trade…
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Governments Adopt Plan of Action to Combat Illegal Fishing
114 delegates at last week’s meeting of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Committee on Fisheries unanimously adopted a new ‘International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing’. The initiative aims to combat pirate fishing by providing all countries with comprehensive, effective and transparent measures…
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Dispute Settlement Update: Antidumping & Patents
The WTO Appellate Body (AB) on 1 March issued a ruling upholding India in its complaint against EU antidumping duties on Indian bed linen, while a Dispute Settlement panel ruling found against the US in a dispute with Japan over anti-dumping duties applied against Japanese steel. Further, on 28 February a WTO arbitrator gave Canada…
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Judge's Remarks Cast Doubt on Outcomes of S. African Drugs Patent Case
Proceedings began on Monday 5 March at the High Court of Pretoria (South Africa) in a case between an alliance of pharmaceutical companies and the South African government over alleged violation of patent rights by South Africa. However, what was expected to have been a landmark case that could influence developing countries’ access to affordable…
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Asian Nations Launch Regional 'World Economic Forum'
Delegates from 25 Asian countries endorsed a declaration in Boao, China, last week establishing the Boao Forum for Asia — a regional version of the World Economic Forum held annually in Switzerland. The Boao Forum is expected to become Asia’s first non-governmental, non- profit organisation whose main purpose will be to increase dialogue, coordination and…
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Latin American Meetings Elaborate Trade & SD Linkages
Trade and SD in Latin America and the Caribbean On 19-21 February, a group of inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) convened a conference in Mexico City on Trade, Environment and Sustainable Development: Perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean. The conference gathered participants from national and inter-governmental institutions, academic institutions and NGOs to discuss…
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Madagascar, Ghana Show Promise at WTO Trade Policy Rreview
The WTO Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) convened on 21 and 28 February to assess the trade policies of Madagascar and Ghana, respectively. Madagascar is classified under the WTO as a least developed country (LDC), while Ghana falls under the developing country category. Other Members welcomed improvements both countries had made in implementing WTO commitments,…
- In Brief
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In Brief
AG EXPORT CREDIT TALKS STALL AT OECD. Talks within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD — an economic grouping of predominantly developed countries) aimed at harmonising the terms of use of agricultural export credit programs have stalled and it is uncertain whether they will resume at the next OECD meeting in April, Jetty…
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On the Move
Mr. Achim Steiner has been appointed as Director-General of the IUCN- The World Conservation Union, a major umbrella conservation group of approximately 950 non-governmental organisations, governmental agencies, and country members. Mr. Steiner joins IUCN after having been the Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) where he led a three-year consultation process which…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
QUAD TO MEET 8-9 MARCH ON SERVICES. Senior officials from the Quad group of countries (the US, EU, Canada and Japan) are scheduled to meet in Washington on 8-9 March in an attempt to bridge differences with developing countries on negotiating guidelines for services talks at the WTO. The guidelines have met with opposition from…
- Events
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Events
For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar at: http://www.ictsd.org/html/calendar.htm . ICTSD Event Monday, 26 March, 09:00 - 11:00, Geneva, Switzerland: INFORMAL CAFÉ & CROISSANTS DIALOGUE ON “TRIPS REVIEW AND EVENTUAL NEGOTIATIONS: WHERE ARE WE AND WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR QATAR”. Guest speakers will…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the BRIDGES staff to Hugo Cameron, hcameron@ictsd.ch. Submissions of publications to ICTSD’s documentation centre would also be welcome (contact Marc Galvin,mgalvin@ictsd.ch). TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN MEXICO: LESSONS FOR…