Archive - 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.

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.

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

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

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.

Ahead of what is being described as the 'last chance' meeting next week of the 'Five Interested Parties' the United States, the European Union, India, Brazil and Australia Indian trade minister Kamal Nath raised the stakes for a possible confrontation with the United States, charging that Washington has not substantially reduced its trade-distorting domestic subsidies in real terms in its latest proposal

In a dramatic departure from prevailing thought about international food aid programs, The Oakland Institute's new report, Food Aid or Food Sovereignty?, Ending World Hunger in Our Time, recommends food sovereignty as the policy tool to achieve food self-sufficiency

WTO chief Pascal Lamy warned that further compromise was needed to reach an overall accord on global commerce, as a potential EU internal row threatened to complicate talks just two months ahead of a crucial ministerial meeting in Hong Kong.

Director-General Pascal Lamy said that the trade talks have gained 'a new momentum' with the agriculture proposal by the United States.

Link to G20 proposal