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Dispute Settlement I: Brazil - Sugar & Cotton
At a 27 September meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), Brazil announced its intention (together with Australia) to begin consultations with the EC over sugar subsidies and with the US over cotton subsidies. In the latter instance, Brazil’s case has been bolstered by a recent Oxfam report on the destructive impact of developed country…
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Dispute Settlement Ii: Lumber, Sardines And Wine
Softwood lumber On 27 September, the WTO issued the report of the panel (WT/DS236/R, available online at: http://docsonline.wto.org) that had examined Canada’s complaint over the United States’ preliminary determinations with respect to certain softwood lumber from Canada. As expected, the ruling was similar to a preliminary judgement released by the panel in July 2002, which in…
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Agriculture: Negotiations Chair Calls On Membership To Meet Deadlines
Speaking to the special (negotiating) session of the WTO Committee on Agriculture (CoA) on 27 September, CoA special session Chair Stuart Harbinson imparted a sense of urgency on progress in the agriculture negotiations. In his summary of the previously held informal negotiations on domestic support, he called on Members to "reflect deeply and urgently on…
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Developing Countries Wary Of Additional Commitments In WIPO
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), meeting for the WIPO Assemblies on 23 September to 1 October, widely criticised the WIPO Director-General’s proposed agenda for the international patent system, which many saw as going far beyond the scope of discussion. Also among the contentious issues on the table was a proposal by…
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WTO Competition Meeting Addresses 'Core Principles'
At a meeting of the WTO’s Working Group on the Interaction between Trade and Competition Policy held on 26-27 September, Members continued discussions as mandated by para. 25 of the Doha Declaration and focused in particular on the clarification of "…core principles, including transparency, non-discrimination and procedural fairness." While the meeting, according to a trade…
- In Brief
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In Brief
FINGERS POINT AROUND IMF-WORLD BANK ANNUAL MEETINGS The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) wrapped up their annual meetings on 29 September amid street protests and accusations from within and without that the current system of international financial management was failing to improve conditions in poorer regions. World Bank officials lashed out at…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
WORLD BANK AND WTO TO ASSIST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ON PRODUCT STANDARDS In a continued effort to link aid with trade opportunities, the World Bank and the WTO on 27 September announced the creation of an initiative –entitled the Standards and Trade Development Facility — to help developing countries by providing funding to help them meet international…
- 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/cal/index.htm. If you would like to submit an event, please email eve…@ictsd.ch. Coming Up This Week: 2-8 October 2-3 October, Luanda, Angola: SOUTH AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY SUMMIT MEETING. This meeting will be led by the SADC Secretariat. For…
- 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 resources@ictsd.ch. Submissions of publications to ICTSD’s documentation centre would also be welcome (see mailing address below). ICTSD Resources TRADE NEGOTIATIONS INSIGHTS: FROM DOHA TO COTONOU. Volume…