Sharp "asymmetries" in levels of ambition emerge in TiSA talks

20 April, 2015
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Apr15/04)
As the technical experts and negotiators engaged in the controversial plurilateral initiative on Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) prepare a report on their overall progress during the last three years, it has emerged that there will be sharp "asymmetries" in the levels of ambition in different services sectors, according to several members familiar with the negotiations. In this brief D Ravi Kanth provides an overview of levels of ambition in current TISA negotiations,

LDCs assess high-level meeting on LDC services waiver

27 March, 2015
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Mar15/05)
According to trade officials, at the regular meeting of the Council for Trade in Services on 18 March, the LDCs, in their presentation, assessed the high-level meeting that was held on 5 February, in which number of developed country members and developing country members in a position to do so had indicated the services sectors and modes of supply where they intend to provide preferential treatment to the LDCs.

TISA: leaked document reveals secret talks to promote health “tourism” and privatisation

3 February, 2015
Public Services International (PSI)
The proposal, reportedly tabled by the government of Turkey, was discussed by EU member states last September at the Geneva TISA negotiations. It suggests an annex on health care services in the TISA that would promote offshoring by facilitating patients’ travel abroad to access health services.

Briefing on leaked US TISA proposal on e-commerce, technoloy transfer, cross-border data flows and net neutrality

17 December, 2014
A detailed memorandum by Professor Kelsey and Dr Burcu Kilic shows how the leaked US TISA proposals mirror the demands of its IT and services industry.

South faces uphill fight on food security, commitments on Bali decisions

9 April, 2015
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Apr15/03)
Towards 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December 2015, Chakravarthi Raghavan provides detailed analysis of critical issues faced by developing countries at the WTO to ensure a permanent solution to food security issues and translate into binding commitments the 'best endeavour' decisions of the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference.

Investing inAgriculture in Developing Countries: the Whole World Says Yes, but the WTO Says No.

3 April, 2015
In this important article, Deborah James of Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) Network, analyzes how global trade rules set in the World Trade Organization (WTO) pose challenges to achieve the Right to Food and how this WTO obstacles to food security can be removed.

Farmers and CSOs express concern over WTO conditionalities on India's agricultural subsidy regime

25 November, 2014
Indian farmers organizations and civil society groups expressed serious concern over India - US agreement over public stockholding issue at the WTO negotiation. In a letter to commerce minister they argued that Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) needs to be rejected not only as a strategy but on its own lack of merit.

Global civil society letter to WTO members regarding public food stockholding programs

24 November, 2014
In the backdrop of agreement between India and US on public stockholdings for food security purposes this Global civil society letter highlights that the current solution is inadequate and calls upon WTO members to ensure that developing countries’ and LDCs’ interests are not sacrificed in the current negotiations and at the special General Council meeting on 26 November 2014 in order to clear the path for the TFA.

OWINFS and PSI release their second report on Trade in Services Agreement (TISA)

30 September, 2014
OWINFS - PSI
On the occasion of Global Trade Summit convened by PSI and it's affiliates in Washington, D.C., on 15-17 September 2014, PSI and Our World is not For Sale (OWINFS) launched a new Special Report by Ellen Gould entitled "The Really Good Friends of Transnational Corporations Agreement" on the first day of the Global Summit. The report was launched with the objective to overcome the secrecy and complexity surrounding the negotiations on trade in services agreement (TISA) and bring it into the public sphere for a democratic debate.

PSI Special Report: TISA versus Public Services

28 April, 2014
Public Services International
A new report by Public Services International (PSI) warns that governments are planning to take the world on a liberalisation spree on a scale never seen before. According to the report, this massive trade deal will put public healthcare, broadcasting, water, transport and other services at risk. The proposed deal could make it impossible for future governments to restore public services to public control, even in cases where private service delivery has failed. It would also restrict a government’s ability to regulate key sectors including financial, energy, telecommunications and cross-border data flows.