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What are the key issues that will be determined at the 8th Ministerial Conference (MC8) of the WTO? How do these decisions relate to the development mandate of the Doha Round, and the global crisis of unemployment? How is the WTO responding to international demands for increased international and national oversight over financial services? What impact are WTO accessions having on the populations of the acceding countries?

Analytical Note, December 2011

This Analytical Note provides an overview of the following: issues at stake in MC8 for developing countries and key messages for Ministers; the state of play including the main events that took place in the production of the ‘Elements for Political Guidance’ text; the legal status of the Chairman’s Statement as the outcome document of the Ministerial; important process issues to be mindful of during the Ministerial; a detailed look at the issues in the ‘Elements for Political Guidance’ text; and a paragraph by paragraph analysis of the ‘Elements’ text.

Inexplicablemente, la OMC ha anunciado una vez más su intención de establecer un cronograma intenso de negociaciones para la primavera boreal, luego de que algunos gobiernos acordaran en las reuniones del G20 de noviembre de 2010, impulsar en 2011 la conclusión de las negociaciones de la Ronda de Doha para la expansión de la OMC.

Inexplicably, the WTO has yet again announced an accelerated schedule of negotiations this spring, after some governments agreed at the November 2010 meetings of the G20 to push for a conclusion the Doha Round of WTO expansion negotiations in 2011. OWINFS encourages social movements and civil society organizations concerned about the impacts of the WTO on workers, farmers, women, the environment, and our future, to organize national pressure immediately on your Trade Minister and other national officials!

The G20 is an unelected and select group of countries whose membership was originally drawn in response to the financial crises of the 1990s.1 The group came to its current position of prominence as a result of the latest wave of crises starting in 2007, as it had become clear that the G8 were incapable of responding without the collaboration of those from outside their number. The G20 has illegitimately proclaimed itself to be the premier forum of global economic governance for the future. In particular, the G20 seeks to dictate which bodies should be entrusted with responsibility for policing the global economy on its behalf. The G20’s policy agenda is driven primarily by the interests of global capital, as business leaders meet regularly in closed session with G20 ministers in the run-up to the G20 summits.G20 is trying to promote further liberalisation of trade, investment, finance and public services as a solution to the crisis. Recognizing that profound and fundamental change to the system is the ONLY solution to the crisis, member organisations and social movements of Our World Is Not For Sale make the following demands:

Dear Colleagues,
The fifth G20 Summit will be held in Seoul on November 11th to 12th. This meeting has grave consequences for the people of Korea and the entire world. The G20 has appointed itself the principal body responsible for finding a solution to the global economic crisis and managing the world economy. Yet it excludes the majority of poor and developing nations from decision-making. It also seeks to make common people shoulder the burden of the crisis and to promote neoliberal policies, which have already created vast poverty and increased inequality. In addition, the South Korean government is using the upcoming summit as an excuse to severely restrict democratic rights and carry out a crackdown on migrants, street vendors and homeless people.

La OMC ha convocado a una Conferencia Ministerial en Ginebra del 30 de noviembre al 2 de diciembre de 2009, com el propósito de avanzar en las negociaciones sobre Agricultura, NAMA y Servicios en el marco de la Ronda de Doha – tal como se lo propuso en las reuniones ministeriales en Doha, Cancún y Hong Kong. En efecto, la Ronda de Doha ha “colapsado” al menos tres veces desde su lanzamiento en 2001, pero aún así, una y otra vez ha sido resucitada de entre los muertos, y las negociaciones técnicas en Ginebra continúan de manera regular.

El Grupo de Negociaciones sobre NAMA celebrará una semana de negociaciones
Publicado en SUNS #6805 del 2 de noviembre de 2009

Ginebra, 30 de octubre (Kanaga Raja) – El Grupo de Negociaciones sobre Acceso a los Mercados No Agrícolas (NAMA por su sigla en inglés) celebrará una semana de discusiones a iniciarse el 2 de noviembre, sobre varias cuestiones incluyendo las Barreras No Arancelarias (NTBs por su sigla en inglés).

Comercio: Panorama general positivo, pero hace falta trabajar más, dice el presidente del NAMA
Kanaga Raja, Ginebra