Archive

July 15th, 2015

Strong support for LDC pharmaceuticals exemption request

17 June, 2015
A large majority of Members, mainly developing countries, have voiced strong support at the meeting of the TRIPS Council (9-10 June) for the request by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for an extension of the transitional period with regard to the intellectual property protection of pharmaceutical products, which is set to expire on 1 January 2016.

Azevedo's new efforts on agri-subsidies to end Doha talks

17 June, 2015
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Mr. Roberto Azevedo, in his current drive to conclude the Doha Development Round at the forthcoming Nairobi Ministerial meet, appears to have floated Thursday a concept on domestic agriculture support, upending all the collective efforts hitherto on further reforms in Agriculture, mandated by the Agreement on Agriculture of the Marrakesh Treaty of 1994.

Developing countries denounce re-calibration approach to end DDR

10 June, 2015
Trade ministers of leading developing countries denounced at Paris on Thursday (June 4) attempts by major developed countries to force a decision on the so-called "re-calibration" approach to lower the level of ambition of the post-Bali work program to conclude the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations later this year, several officials said.

Still no clarity on Doha re-calibration, simplification, says India

9 June, 2015
There is still no clarity on re-calibration, simplification and doabilities, India told an informal meeting at the level of Heads of Delegation (HOD) at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Monday (1 June).

Azevedo issues sanitized version of "consultation" meetings

9 June, 2015
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Roberto Azevedo, has issued to members what appears to be a sanitized version of his meetings and issues discussed with trade envoys in different configurations over the last one month. A glimpse of the closed-door consultations between the director-general and select trade envoys in various configurations were reported by different publications, including the SUNS.

Huge International Coalition Calls for a Big Change to WTO Agenda

10 July, 2015
Negotiations in the WTO are heating up – and they are going badly. In November last year, WTO members agreed to come up with a “Work Program” for resurrecting the Doha Round by July 31. In this article Deborah James of OWINFS network articulates civil society position on recent developments in WTO negotiations.

July 13th

341 groups from 100+ countries call on WTO Members to Abandon Liberalization Push and Turnaround WTO Agenda

8 July, 2015
Today, 341 global civil society organizations – including development advocates, trade unions, farmers’ organizations, consumer and environmental groups from over 100 countries – sent a letter to WTO members today urging them to abandon the WTO expansion talks and instead focus on an urgent agenda to fix existing damaging rules in the WTO.

July 9th

LEAKED: How the Biggest Banks Are Conspiring to Rip Up Financial Regulations around the World

2 July, 2015
It’s almost impossible to keep anything secret these days – not even the core text of a hyper-secret trade deal, the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), which has spent the last two years taking shape behind the hermetically sealed doors of highly secure locations around the world. According to the agreement’s provisional text, the document is supposed to remain confidential and concealed from public view for at least five years after being signed! But now, thanks to WikiLeaks, it has seeped to the surface.

TISA Leaks Part Deux: More Evidence of Concerted Attack on Democracy

2 July, 2015
One day after it leaked a trove of documents related to the massive, pro-corporate Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), WikiLeaks on Thursday published another four chapters of the proposed 52-nation trade deal, covering key areas ahead of the next negotiating round on Monday.

July 8th

Letter from Civil Society Regarding Future Agenda of the WTO Negotiations

8 July, 2015
341 organizations of civil society from over 100 countries of the global North and South, as consumer groups, environmentalists, trade unions, farmers, and other development advocates, have sent a letter to WTO members regarding the wrong direction of the current WTO talks, and urged the governments to substantially turnaround the negotiations in advance of the December Ministerial in Nairobi.