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Small Economies Seek Attention, Special Treatment
The Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) held the eighth Dedicated Session on Small Economies on 3 November as part of the 1-5 November WTO Geneva Week for Non-Resident Members. At the meeting, Members agreed that the work on small economies — characterised by the dual constraints of small economic size and vulnerability — would…
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Rules Group Discusses Next Steps To Curb Fisheries Subsidies
At an informal meeting of the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules on 3 November, Members discussed a new proposal by Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, New Zealand, the Philippines and Peru on a comprehensive approach to disciplining fisheries subsidies. The proposal stirred some debate, with the EC and US generally supporting the comprehensive approach, while Japan, Korea…
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DSU Update: GMOS, Beef Hormones
GMO dispute deadline extended again In a statement dated 2 November, the WTO panel hearing the challenge by the US, Argentina and Canada against the EC’s de facto moratorium on the approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) postponed its issuance of the final report from March 2005 until June 2005. According to the panel, the delay…
- In Brief
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In Brief
EU PROPOSES RULES ON GENERIC DRUGS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES On 29 October, the European Commission proposed new regulations to implement the WTO decision of 30 August 2003 allowing manufacturers of generic pharmaceuticals to produce patented medicines for export to developing countries to combat the spread of diseases such as HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The regulations,…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
INFORMAL TALKS ON TRADE FACILITATION KICK OFF On 2 November, WTO Members held an informal meeting on trade facilitation. The meeting was the first one following the decision by Members on 1 August (WT/L/579) to launch talks on trade facilitation, while dropping the rest of the controversial Singapore issues (investment, competition policy and transparency in government…
- 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. If you would like to submit an event, please email events@ictsd.ch. Coming Up: 11-17 November 18 October to 15 November: ONLINE CONFERENCE ON BIOSAFETY CONSIDERATIONS IN THE USE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS FOR MANAGEMENT OF ANIMAL POPULATIONS. The Biosafety…
- Resources
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Resources
RESOURCES AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF CHINA’S WTO ACCESSION: AN ANALYSIS OF SIX SECTORS. By IISD (November 2004). China’s accession to the WTO has been the most important recent development in trade policy — for China and for the WTO as a whole. The impact on China’s economy has…