Archive - Article

Representatives of 21 NGOs from the Asia Pacific region have delivered an open statement urging APEC leaders to 'stop making claims' that APEC reduces poverty. The group gathered in the heart of Sydney's CBD outside the city's Town Hall while New South Wales police stood nearby to ensure Sydney-siders would be spared hearing comments critical of APEC. Police had informed the group they would be permitted todisplay signs critical of APEC but not chant, speak, or rally in public.

President George W. Bush will seek to breathe fresh life into the stalled Doha round of international trade negotiations during the annual summit of Pacific Rim nations in Sydney this week.

The World Trade Organisation on Friday launched a formal investigation into allegations by the US and Mexico that China is unfairly subsidising exports through tax breaks and other incentives.

A national consultation on

New Delhi, Aug 29 India would demand revision of the draft on non agricultural market access for the WTO Doha round negotiations to move forward when it resume on September 3 in Geneva.

In the current negotiations on agricultural subsidies at the World Trade Organisation, much of the attention has been given to the issue of the overall trade-distorting support (OTDS) of developed countries.

The United States' 2007 Farm Bill, which has been passed by the House of Representatives and will next be considered by the Senate, is likely to be a stumbling block in the negotiations to finalise the "modalities" in agriculture, when the World Trade Organisation resumes its work in early September.

The leaders of Indonesia and Japan signed a free trade pact in Jakarta on Monday that will eliminate well over 90 per cent of tariffs in trade between the two nations that last year was worth $27.2bn.

Analysts here say an economic partnership agreement due to be signed next week between Indonesia and Japan will do more to benefit Japanese companies than domestic businesses.

Hundreds of representatives of social and labour organisations, faith-based, community-based and health networks, small farmers, traders, women and youth organisations, and developmental, human rights and environmental NGOs from across the whole of the Southern African region have gathered in a Peoples Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, 15-16 August 2007, parallel to the SADC Heads of State summit.