Archive

décembre 11th, 2015

Lettre de la société civile sur la conférence ministérielle de Nairobi de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC)

9 December, 2015
En tant que membres de 457 organisations de la société civile - dont des syndicats, des défenseurs de l’environnement, des paysans, des organisations de développement et des groupes d’intérêt public de plus de 150 pays - nous vous écrivons aujourd’hui pour vous exprimer notre vive inquiétude quant à la situation actuelle des négociations à l’OMC. Nous vous invitons à veiller à ce que la conférence ministérielle de Nairobi serve à changer les règles de l’OMC pour rendre le système commercial international plus compatible avec le développement centré sur les êtres humains et à s’opposer aux efforts de certains pays développés d’abandonner l’agenda de développement pour le remplacer par une série de soi-disant « nouveaux sujets ». Ceux-ci sont en réalité des sujets non commerciaux qui empièteraient largement sur les économies nationales et réduiraient l’espace politique national nécessaire pour le développement et l’intérêt public.

novembre 7th

La plus grande ville de Suisse se déclare « zone hors ACS »

6 November, 2015
Public Services International (PSI)
Par un vote, la ville de Zurich s’est proclamée « zone hors ACS ». Cette décision vient mettre en lumière l’opposition grandissante face aux négociations commerciales secrètes. En effet, une proposition introduite auprès du Conseil communal de la Ville de Zurich par le parti des Verts a été adoptée par une forte majorité.

Food security: US, EU rule out permanent solution for public stock holding programmes

7 November, 2015
live mint
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for an outcome on public stockholding programmes for food security at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) ministerial meeting next month in Nairobi has almost been spiked after the US, the European Union, Canada and Australia ruled out any change from the existing interim arrangement.

The long arms of trade

4 November, 2015
India Together
As the countdown for the tenth Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held in Nairobi, Kenya through 15-18 December commences, Shalini Bhutani emphasises the need for a cautious deliberation on how trade rules affect key sectors and all stakeholders.

novembre 4th

Away from the Glare, a Push for More Stringent IPR Protection at the WTO

2 November, 2015
The Wire
The United States and Switzerland want the right to file complaints for loss of trade ‘benefits’ even against countries whose intellectual property rights laws are fully consistent with international agreements

‘Indian and African leaders must not fail to protect interests of locals at upcoming WTO meet'

28 October, 2015
Down To Earth
In a join civil society statement Indian and African CSOs called upon Indian and African leaders not to fail to protect interests of locals at upcoming WTO meet.

Unconditional 17-year exemption from pharmaceuticals patents agreed

3 November, 2015
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov15/02)
The United States and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) at the World Trade Organization have reached agreement ad referendum on a pharmaceutical patent exemption for a duration of 17 years, according to trade diplomats. With this exemption, the world’s poorest nations will not be obliged “to implement or apply” or “to enforce” patents as well as test data protection for pharmaceutical products until 1 January 2033.

Envoys cry foul as US seeks to protect its farm export credits

2 November, 2015
Live Mint
The US has demanded ‘safe harbor’ protection for its controversial farm export credit programme from the disciplines underpinning the World Trade Organization’s agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures despite denying such a flexibility to India and other developing countries for public stockholding programmes for food security last year.

octobre 21st

“Unconscionable and indefensible” – U.S. 10-year offer to LDCs for pharmaceutical patent waiver

21 October, 2015
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Oct15/14)
The United States’ offer to least developed countries of a 10-year transition period to grant pharmaceutical patents is “unconscionable and indefensible”, according to six influential US non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In a letter dated 19 October to President Barack Obama, the NGOs conveyed this strong criticism in view of the public health and other developmental challenges facing least developed countries (LDCs).

septembre 10th

Uruguay abandons TiSA

10 September, 2015
Third World Network
On 5 September 2015 a very large majority of the Frente Amplio, the governing political coalition in Uruguay voted against continuing to be part of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiations taking place in Geneva. These plurilateral negotiations are taking part outside the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its General Agreement on Services (GATS) and have generated concerns over the adverse impacts of the type of services liberalization pushed for by developed countries led by the United States, the European Union and Australia.