Access to medicines, TRIPS waiver
See here.COVID-19 crisis
Seeking market access behind the veil of combating COVID-19.Letter from 400 organizations from more than 150 countries to WTO Members: Stop all trade and investment treaty negotiations during the COVID-19 outbreak and refocus on access to medical supplies and saving lives: English, Spanish, French
Call to Halt Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations in the Middle of the COVID 19 Crisis: English, Spanish, French. Response from WTO DG Azevêdo.
COVID-19 straw breaks free trade camel's back
COVID-19: CSOs call for fair & equitable benefit sharing of medical products
South sets out developmental priorities in face of COVID-19
COVID-19: Trade policy choices during and after pandemic
COVID-19: South opposes attempts to foist trade liberalization measures
WTO reform
Global Civil Society Calls for a WTO Turnaround: New Multilateral Trade Rules for People-Centered Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Development (2021): English, Spanish, French.The WTO 20 years after the 'battle of Seattle'
Looking back on the 1999 protests in Seattle: nwLaborPress.org article
October 9, 2017: Letter from Global Civil Society about the Agenda of the WTO: English: pdf, docx. Spanish: pdf, docx. French: pdf, docx. Greek: pdf, docx.
still relevant:
WTO Turnaround 2013:
Food, Jobs and Sustainable
Development First – Statement (Oct 28, 2013):
English
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Towards MC12
The 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO is scheduled to take place Nov 30 - Dec 3, 2021 in Geneva.Global Civil Society Calls for a WTO Turnaround: New Multilateral Trade Rules for People-Centered Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Development (2021): English, Spanish, French.
Civil Society (free, virtual) Events at the WTO Public Forum (28 September - 1 October 2021).
Why the Joint Statement Initiatives Lack Legal Legitimacy in the WTO, by Law Professor Jane Kelsey, a rebuttal to a previous document by Hamid Mamdouh, “Plurilateral Negotiations and Outcomes in the WTO.” Resumen en español.
Over 200 organizations from 67 countries say: “Fundamentally transform the WTO: The WTO’s own policies have caused its existential crisis, which the COVID-19 crisis only amplified”: English, Spanish, French.
Letter to WTO DG from members of Our World Is Not for Sale
Fisheries
Market access the true aim of WTO fisheries subsidies negotiations: English, SpanishFisheries subsidies negotiations and development in the World Trade Organization
Investment
Scope of an investment facilitation framework: Implications for its developmental claimInvestment facilitation – Another plurilateral initiative at the WTO and its potential implications
Rebuttal to “The WTO Investment Facilitation Initiative: Why It Matters” – background note: Investment Facilitation for Development: Opening the doors of the WTO for hard rules on investment
Services
Disciplining non-discriminatory domestic regulations in the services sectors – Another plurilateral track at the WTO“Domestic regulation” rules in the WTO: English: pdf, docx. Spanish: pdf, doc.
Session at the 2019 WTO Public Forum: #111. What would services as the next trade frontier look like?
Session at the 2019 WTO Public Forum: #119. Why are computer and related services important?
Development agenda
Rich countries have blocked the development agenda since the founding of the WTO, and now are waging an assault against existing flexibilities.Reforming the international trading system for recovery, resilience and inclusive development.
South sets out developmental priorities in face of COVID-19.
New WTO DG delivers "divisive" trade agenda at GC meeting.
Recovering better from COVID-19 will need a rethink of multilateralism.
more on the development agenda …
Agriculture
Inequitable WTO rules in agriculture continue to impact farmers in the developing world: English, SpanishWTO summit to ignore price crisis, agricultural dumping
WTO and Food Security: Biting the hand that feeds the poor
UNCTAD
UNCTAD XV quadrennial conference is scheduled to take place virtually on October 3-8, 2021.Letter from Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot to UNCTAD Member States on unilateral coercive measures
Similar Letter from PSI and EPSU to UNCTAD European member states
Civil Society Declaration for UNCTAD XV, Bridgetown, Barbados
Letter on trade, investment, digitalization, climate issues in the UNCTAD mandate
Letter on UNCTAD mandate language on data flows
Gender justice requires a broad mandate for UNCTAD
The assault on UNCTAD’s mandate must be reversed
Letter from CSOs to UNCTAD Secretariat
TWN Brief on key issues for developing countries while negotiations continue on UNCTAD XV
Reforming the international trading system for recovery, resilience and inclusive development
Digital trade
Some countries are pushing for anti-development, anti-public interest and pro-Big Tech rules in the WTO under the guise of “e‑commerce.”Building back better with e-commerce: A feminist roadmap
Digital Trade Rules: A disastrous new constitution for the global economy written by and for Big Tech: English, Spanish
E-commerce proposals at the WTO: a recipe for corporate greed
Digital trade rules and Big Tech: Surrendering public good to private power
US to target countries that impose digital services taxes
Updated Twelve Reasons: English: pdf, docx. Spanish: pdf, doc. French: pdf, docx.
L'économie numérique
L’Afrique francophone face au e-commerce à l’OMCDouze raisons de s’opposer aux règles sur le commerce électronique à l’OMC
plus d'informations sur l'économie numérique …
La Economia Digital
‘Big tech’ en la OMCLos países del Sur adoptan una postura firme sobre la geoeconomía de los datos
Las asociaciones de PYMES rechazan el programa de trabajo de PYMES y las Reglas de comercio electronico de la OMC Doce razones por las cuales debemos oponernos a las normas relativas al comercio digital en el marco de la OMC
El comercio electrónico y la OMC
Tecnología, comercio electrónico y empleo
Comercio electrónico, futuro del trabajo y su impacto en las mujeres