Archive - 2005

On the first day of the Conference, the different working groups discussed both the state of the WTO negotiations and agreements (AoA, NAMA, TRIPS, GATS, FTA…) and the latest developments after the Canc

'Two years after the submission of our sectoral initiative on cotton, it is now time to move from the stage of declarations and clarifications and finally move to concrete actions,' -Samuel Amehou

The United States went a step further by saying ministers must agree on a 'standstill' in addition to making new commitments.

Most trade ministers attending the Mombasa meeting were indifferent to Mr. Mandelson's proposal, sources told WTD.

An estimated 16,000 delegates from 184 countries are expected to descend on Singapore for the gathering, including 300 finance ministers and heads of central banks.

Once again, the peoples of the world will expose, right at WTO's doorstep, the consequences of its corporate-driven agenda on the livelihoods and working conditions of men, women and children worldwide.

Johannesson has proposed to negotiators a checklist of issues to form part of an eventual formula to cut tariffs.

This three-day informal trade ministerial meeting cross the first hurdle in grappling with the contentious issue of converting special and complex tariffs into ad valorem equivalents.

Senior officials attending a March 2-4 World Trade Organization "mini-ministerial" in Kenya reported progress on resolving their differences.

Mandelson said the EU would support temporary exemptions for poor states that needed more time to implement new trade rules, and push for extra aid to help countries to improve trading facilities.