Archive - 2005 - Article

The international seminar on Intellectual Property and Development held at WIPO headquarters in Geneva pn 2-3 May 2005 saw some interesting exchanges of views and experiences on its second day, with contrasting points made by speakers, chairpersons and participants from the floor.(M.Khor)

In a conference room on the shores of Lake Geneva, trade negotiators are drawing up plans that could eventually have a devastating impact on the global environment

An international seminar on Intellectual Property and Development held at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on 2-3 May 2005 discussed the theme 'intellectual property and public policy', with sessions on public health, biodiversity and traditional knowledge, copyright and competition policy.(M.Khor)

Although development is supposed to be at the centre of the Doha WorkProgramme, in reality the development dimension has not been adequately implemented, or may be absent altogether, in the current Doha negotiations, according to several panelists at a session on development during the WTO's public symposium held in Geneva on 20-22 April.

At the session, a broad range of NGOs and trade union representativescriticised the framework on NAMA (non agriculture market access) and the proposals tabled at the negotiations.(M.Khor)

You may find this speech of interest, especially the comments on NAMA.(M. Waghorne)

The WTO organised a public symposium on 20-22 April on The WTO After 10 Years: Global Problems and Multilateral Solutions. It was attended by more than a thousand people.

A deputy ministers meeting meant to restart talks on a free trade agreement between the U.S. and the Southern African Customs Union were cancelled this week and efforts to reschedule the meeting were unsuccessful.

Philippine negotiators agreed to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) of rice for the seven-year extension of the special treatment for rice.

ActionAid International and Greenpeace International warned that governments are rushing to complete a trade deal without considering the impacts on poor communities and the environment.