Archive

October 17th, 2005

Rocky start to WTO dialogue

16 October, 2005
Protesters swarmed WTO director- general Pascal Lamy's car outside Hong Kong University Sunday in what could be a sign of things to come between anti-globalization protesters and free-trade proponents.

WTO meet `make or break' for trade

16 October, 2005
Pascal Lamy, director general of the World Trade Organization, warned in two separate speeches in Hong Kong Sunday that the meeting in the city in mid-December would be the critical make-or-break few days for the future of world trade.

Activists confront new WTO chief

16 October, 2005
Pascal Lamy, the WTO director-general, yesterday fielded questions from anti-globalisation activists who contended that free trade does not benefit the poor.

October 16th

Debunking the Myth of Mode 4 and the U.S. H-1B Visa Program

15 October, 2005
This memo clarifies the U.S. law and policy regarding visas for foreign workers to perform work in the United States. The purpose of this memo is to overcome confusion about how the U.S. H-1B system operates and which U.S. officials have the legal ability to make enforceable commitments regarding new rights for foreign worker to enter the United States to provide services.

October 15th

US agriculture proposal criticized as inadequate and ignoring SDT for developing countries

14 October, 2005
The US proposals on agriculture unveiled on Monday 10 October in Zurich by US Trade Representative Robert Portman has come under criticism from several developing countries and NGOs for not doing enough to cut its domestic support

EU seeks aggressive opening of South in exchange for agriculture

14 October, 2005
In the negotiations of the past week starting 10 October, the EU has made clear its demand that developing countries have to pay a heavy price in widely opening up its markets in industrial products and services, in exchange for the concessions the EU is proposing in agriculture.

G20 response to US, EU proposals

14 October, 2005
The Group of 20 developing countries held a press conference on 12 October in Geneva to give a response to the proposals of the US and EU and comments on the series of meetings in Zurich and Geneva earlier in the week.

TNC meeting takes stock of WTO negotiations

14 October, 2005
The WTO's Trade Negotiations Committee met on 13 October to take stock of the state of the Doha negotiations, with members giving views on recent developments and some members presenting a few new proposals.

Huge protest opens people's week of action on WTO in Geneva

14 October, 2005
Trade activists numbering over 3,000 massed up in front of the WTO headquarters here this afternoon to open the weeklong activities centered around the upcoming WTO General Council Meeting.

Lamy to take part in WTO NGO Forum

14 October, 2005
DG Pascal Lamy and Sec. John Tsang will be keynote speakers of a roundtable forum on 16 October 2005 at the Hong Kong University.