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Agriculture: Negotiations Stalling, NGOs Voice Concern
WTO Members are currently meeting in a 24-28 February negotiating session of the Committee on Agriculture (CoA), with very little progress reported. The meeting takes place in the aftermath of a storm of criticism of Chair Stuart Harbinson’s first modalities draft for agriculture negotiations, circulated on 12 February (BRIDGES…
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TRIPs Council Focuses On Tech Transfer And Geographical Indications
The Council for Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), at its regular session on 18-20 February, adopted a decision on technical transfer to least-developed countries, thereby fulfilling one of the mandates adopted at the Doha Ministerial Conference. Earlier in the meeting, Members had failed to finalise negotiations on TRIPs and health and no new…
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WTO Goods Council Approves Kimberley Process Waiver
On 26 February, the WTO Council for Trade in Goods approved a request of eleven Members — Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Thailand, the UAE and US — for a waiver from WTO rules for the Kimberley Process rough diamonds certification scheme. The Kimberley Process is an international initiative established to…
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Developing Countries Air Concerns At WTO Market Access Group
At a 20-21 February meeting of the WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access, Chair Pierre-Louis Girard (Switzerland) sought input for an overview paper on negotiating modalities for the market access talks (i.e. the way to structure the negotiations). He had produced an advance copy on 5 February (TN/MA/6, available at http://docsonline.wto.org) that presented all the…
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Developing Countries Air Concerns At WTO Market Access Group
At a 20-21 February meeting of the WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access, Chair Pierre-Louis Girard (Switzerland) sought input for an overview paper on negotiating modalities for the market access talks (i.e. the way to structure the negotiations). He had produced an advance copy on 5 February (TN/MA/6, available at http://docsonline.wto.org) that presented all the…
- In Brief
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FAO Stresses Need To Bridge 'Molecular Divide'
US REMAINS UNDECIDED OVER WTO CHALLENGE OF EU GMO MORATORIUM The US has yet to decide whether to formally challenge the EU’s de facto moratorium on the approval of genetically modified organisms (GMO) at the WTO, according to David Hegwood, special trade adviser at the US Department of Agriculture. This recent statement by Hegwood contradicts…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
DSU REVIEW NEGOTIATIONS PROCEED, SLOWLY In meetings of the special session of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 17 and 18 of February, Members carried on with the negotiations on the review of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), progressing on an article-by article basis. As in the two previous meetings of the DSB special session,…
- Events
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Events
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 events@ictsd.ch. Coming Up This Week: 27 February - 5 March 24-28 February, Rome, Italy: 25TH SESSION OF THE FAO COMMITTEE ON…
- 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 welcomed (see mailing address below). ICTSD Resources DOHA BRIEFING SERIES. ICTSD and IISD have prepared a…