Archive - Jun 2005

An ambitious American plan for a hemisphere-wide trade pact is mired in disputes that have led to widespread skepticism about its chances of ever materializing.

It is still not clear what exactly the proponents of 'benchmarking' are proposing. However, many developing countries have been sceptical about the concept, believingthat it is being used as an instrument to oblige them to open up more of their servicessectors and in more ways than they would otherwise like.(M.Khor)

This is the June 27, 2005 issue of Geneva Update, titled 'Formula one Racing: Who's going to win the Grand Prix?'

A 'brain-storming' session on Friday among nine key members of the World Trade Organization to set quantitative benchmarks in the sluggish Doha Development Agenda services negotiations has failed to bring about convergence

June 2005 issue of Focus on Trade

More than 160 civil society organizations from around the world sent a letter to WTO ambassadors in Geneva Thursday expressing their deep concerns regarding the current round of negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which is part of the 'single undertaking'under the July 2004 Framework

Civil Society Statement to the Trade experts meeting preparing for the meeting of the ministers responsible for trade in LDCs

EC proposal on food aid presented at a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in Divonne on 18th June 2005

Divisions continue at WIPO patents committee meeting of the WIPO Standing Committee on Patents, held on 1-2 June 2005.

The Standing Committee on the Law ofPatents (SCP) at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ended itsmeeting on 3 June 2005 without any agreement among Member States on how the future workprogramme of the committee should proceed.