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'Benchmark' Proposals Create Controversy In Services Talks
In a controversial move, a handful of influential WTO Members have proposed the establishment of multilateral requirements for countries to open their services sectors to foreign competition. These would supplement the current bilateral request-offer process for negotiating market access in services trade. In informal ‘non-papers’ submitted during consultations that services Chair Ambassador…
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Agriculture: WTO Members to Pursue "Comprehensive" Approach
The recent week of agriculture negotiations at the WTO wrapped up on 15 September, a day earlier than planned. The meeting — convened for the first time by the committee’s new chair, Ambassador Crawford Falconer of New Zealand — generally agreed that Members need to take a comprehensive approach to the agriculture negotiations and tackle…
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EU-US Bilateral AG Talks Pave The Way For Progress In Geneva?
While the first ‘agriculture week’ after the WTO August recess was underway in Geneva, the EU and the US held high-level bilateral meetings in Washington from 13-14 September. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson met his counterpart, US Trade Representative Rob Portman. They were joined by EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel and US Agriculture Secretary…
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UN Summit Makes Little Progress On MDGs
Described as more significant for what it failed to achieve than for what it accomplished, the security-dominated 14-16 September UN World Summit in New York was notable for its lack of progress on development issues. The 2005 gathering brought together an unprecedented 151 out of a possible 191 heads ofstate. Though its adoption of a resolution…
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VACANCIES
Oxfam (Great Britain) is currently recruiting a Senior Policy Advisor. Successful candidates will be expected to develop cutting-edge analysis and policy based on Oxfam’s experience and research and develop long-term advocacy strategies to achieve campaign goals. Applicants are expected to have experience lobbying decision-makers, demonstrable people management and team-working skills, experience…
- In Brief
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In Brief
US AND EU STRIKE WINE AGREEMENT; MAY INFLUENCE WTO TALKS ON GIs On 15 September, the EU and the US reached an agreement on wine-making practices and labelling, settling a longstanding dispute over names and regulations. Specifically, they agreed to mutually recognise "names of origin" and "semi-generic" names. The latter have been at the core of…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
US, INDIA TO CO-CHAIR NEW SPECIAL GROUP ON SERVICES Trade ministers from Brazil, India, the EU, and the US agreed during their 22-23 September summit in Paris to the creation of a 15-country special group on the WTO services negotiations. The group will be jointly chaired by India and the US, both of which pushed for…
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WTO In Brief
VIETNAM ACCESSION BY HONG KONG LOOKING UNLIKELY It is unclear if Vietnam will be able to formally become a Member of the WTO in time for the December Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong. Following the 15 September session of the Working Party for the Accession of Vietnam, its chair, Ambassador Eirik Glenne of Norway, said that…
- 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 us. ICTSD Event 23 September, Geneva, Switzerland: THE INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SYSTEM: LIMITATIONS, EXCEPTIONS AND PUBLIC INTEREST CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN…
- Resources
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Resources
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT: LESSONS FROM RECENT ECONOMIC RESEARCH. World Bank and Oxford University Press, 2005. This paper asserts that international policies toward the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) have seen profound changes in the past two decades. The authors contend that emerging trends and technologies — such as bio-informatics (mapping of the human…