Setting the Record Straight on the TISA Leak

12 June, 2015
Press coverage across the world around Wkileaks expose of TISA negotiation texts, largely expressed concern over the impact of secret trade negotiations. However, Edward Alden's "WikiLeaks and Trade: A Healthy Dose of Sunshine," posted at the Council on Foreign Relations, stands out like a sore thumb among the other analysis. This response underlines that Alden's cursory "reading" of the texts exhibits a lack of understanding of the complexity of trade in services rules.

Letter to WTO Members Seeking Extension of TRIPS Transitional Period on Pharmaceutical Produtcs for LDCs

5 June, 2015
Civil Society Letter to Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO): Request by least developed country members for an extension of the transitional period with respect to pharmaceutical products and for waivers from the obligation of articles 70.8 and 70.9 of the trips agreement

Sharp polarisation at NAMA talks

8 June, 2015
Members of the World Trade Organization remained sharply polarized Monday over the "five approaches" put forward by the Chair of the negotiating group for further talks to finalize outcomes in market access on industrial products in the post-Bali work programme for concluding the Doha Round.

Situation unchanged in NAMA talks, reports Chair

8 June, 2015
The growing disquiet and discontent among the large majority of developing countries over the non-transparent manner in which talks over the post-Bali work programme are taking place at the WTO surfaced Monday at an informal meeting of the Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-Agricultural Products (NAMA), as also at an informal Heads of Delegation (HOD) meeting in the afternoon.

What the TISA Leaked Documents Reveal About Negotiations - TheRealNews

Published on Jun 7, 2015 by TheRealNews PopularResistance.org Co-Director Kevin Zeese explains the most egregious portions of the secretly negotiated agreement and how the fast track battle on Capitol could decide its fate

WikiLeaks exposes new batch of secret US, EU trade negotiations

Published on Jun 3, 2015 by RT America WikiLeaks has released documents concerning a trade negotiation between the US, the EU and 23 countries known as the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), connecting it to other secret negotiations regarding trade pacts such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Manuel Rapalo has more, and looks at WikiLeaks’ effort to find out more about the TPP.

Wikileaks Releases Largest Trove of Trade Negotiations Documents in History on Proposed "Trade in Services Agreement" (TISA)

3 June, 2015
Today, as Ministers meet to further a controversial and little known proposed Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) on the sidelines of the annual Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting, Wikileaks released (wikileaks.org/tisa/) a trove of negotiating texts, including annexes covering a wide range of issues on domestic regulation, financial services, air and maritime transportation, electronic commerce, transparency, telecommunications, professional services, and the natural movement of persons (called “Mode4” in trade agreements.)

Insight: WTO: Where are we heading?

27 May, 2015
In this Jakarta Post article Iman Pambagyo, Indonesian ambassador in charge of the WTO, strongly criticizes non-transparent negotiations process followed by developed countries and Roberto Azevedo, Director General of WTO to define the Post Bali Work Programme towards 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, later this year. He also called upon the ministers from the developing to insist strongly that the conversations in Geneva should be inclusive, transparent and flexibility for developing countries is a must.

Transparency by others, secrecy for WTO

25 May, 2015
The World Trade Organisation's Director-General Roberto Azevedo is apparently upset that his meetings with trade envoys from seven developed and developing countries to discuss the benchmarks in the market access pillars of agriculture and industrial goods for concluding the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations by the end of this year are being reported in some publications, including SUNS, according to people familiar with the development.

Concern among developing countries on WTO DG consultations

22 May, 2015
In a scenario more reminiscent of the bad old days of the pre-WTO trading system, of very restricted "green room" meetings, where a few developing countries are sought to be isolated and pressured to force down an accord on the membership, the WTO DG Mr. Roberto Azevedo has been apparently having closed-door meetings with trade envoys from the United States, the European Union, China, India, Brazil, Australia, and Japan.