Archive - 2006

The US and Japan may use the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to negotiate and hasten onerous free trade agreements (FTAs) with member-countries to further consolidate transnational corporate dominance over local economies, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

Several developing countries cautioned against approving the recommendations of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) to convene a Diplomatic Conference on the protection of broadcasting and cablecasting organizations during discussions on this agenda item on Wednesday at the WIPO General Assembly.

The meetings of the WIPO General Assembly (GA) began on Monday (25 September), with Members generally proclaiming their positions on issues that are expected to be contentious and to dominate much of the debate at this current annual session.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has adopted decisions on how to proceed on three important issues that have been pre-occupying its General Assembly in the past week.

The WIPO General Assembly has adopted a decision on the protection of broadcasting organizations which goes a few steps backwards on negotiating and finalizing a new treaty on the issue.

World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy visited some high-ranking officials here Thursday and Friday to plead the case for resuming the long-stalled Doha Development Agenda negotiations - and then left for New York to participate in yesterday's New York City marathon

Many developing countries have opposed another attempt by the European Union and other developed countries to have the TRIPS Council of the WTO to deal with enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Members of the World Trade Organization negotiating the terms of Vietnam's membership concluded their talks on Thursday 26 October by accepting the accession documents that spell out Vietnam's commitments and rights.

The World Bank has claimed at an agriculture meeting of the WTO that the use of "special products" and "special safeguard mechanism" which had been proposed by many developing countries in the Doha negotiations could undermine food supply to the world's poor.

Many developing countries have opposed another attempt by the European Union and other developed countries to have the TRIPS Council of the WTO to deal with enforcement of intellectual property rights.