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High-Level Talks On Doha Round Ongoing
High-level trade officials and trade ministers have been on the road over the last week, meeting with their counterparts in capitals. Informal talks on trade issues, including on the revival of the Doha round, are being held in Mombasa, Kenya, from 18-19 February among a dozen African trade ministers as well as EC Trade Commissioner…
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DSB Update: Lumber, “Zeroing” And Commercial Vessels
The WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) met on 17 February, where Members considered a range of ongoing cases and two new ones. The DSB adopted the Appellate Body report on the US-Canada dispute over softwood lumber. It also considered two panel requests; one by the EC for the establishment of a panel in the case…
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EC Adopts Commodities Action Plan
The European Commission adopted a commodities action plan on 12 February with the aim of helping developing countries combat agricultural commodity dependency. EC support will target the African cotton sector specifically, and the EC will expand and simplify its ‘FLEX’ instrument, which is used to compensate African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries for short-term fluctuations…
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UNCTAD Commission Convenes On Trade In Goods, Services And Commodities
The eighth session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Commission on Trade in Goods, Services and Commodities was held in Geneva from 9-13 February. The objective of the session was to "carry out a strategic overview of the international trading system from a development perspective, with special attention to UNCTAD XI’s sub-theme…
- In Brief
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Developing Country Role In Fisheries Trade Discussed
NEW REGULATIONS TO KEEP "INVASIVE" SPECIES OUT OF BALLAST WATER On 13 February over 100 countries signed a UN treaty that seeks to regulate ballast water management in the shipping industry. The two-tiered treaty, 10 years in the making, is sponsored by the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The first tier includes regulations that apply…
- 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: 19-25 February until 27 February 2004: EU TRADE NEWS PUBLIC CONSULTATION: IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS. All interested…
- Resources
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Resources
TWENTY-FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE THE DERBEZ DRAFT ON AGRICULTURE. By the International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC, 10 February 2004). According to the authors it appears likely that the agricultural text drafted by Mexican Foreign Minister, Luis Ernesto Derbez, at the Cancun Ministerial Meeting will be the basis for further negotiations. The IPC…