TRIPS Chair urges "more substantive" talks on GI register

25 Maggio, 2009
SUNS #6705
The Chair of the Special Session of the TRIPS Council on Wednesday urged members to move from "understanding" each others' proposals to focussing on "more substantive" discussions in order to take forward the negotiations on a multilateral register for geographical indications (GI) for wines and spirits.

Lamy re-appointed as WTO head for a second term

4 Maggio, 2009
SUNS #6692
The WTO General Council on Thursday afternoon agreed to re-appoint Pascal Lamy as Director-General of the organization for a second term of four years commencing from 1 September 2009.

Global economic crisis progressively affecting trade

12 Maggio, 2009
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues: SUNS #6699
It is important to protect the significant progress that developing countries have made in recent decades in producing viable exports and in participating in the world economy so that trade can help them recover from the global economic crisis, participants told the Trade and Development Commission of UNCTAD on Monday

Latest Video from Focus on the Global South: The Gr8 Climate Sale

Inviato da verda.cook il 5 June, 2009 - 20:15

This video talks about what has happened since the Kyoto Protocol came
into force, and how the neo-liberal system has contributed to global
warming. It emphasizes the intimate connection between increasing trade
liberalization and rising greenhouse gas emissions, how trade rules prevent
effective action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and how institutions
like the WTO and other trade regimes are trying to control what governments
can and cannot do about global warming. It also talks about the Group of 8

FAIL (the browser should render some flash content, not this).

EPA General Exceptions undermine WTO negotiations on commodities

28 Maggio, 2009
South Centre
The General Exceptions of the EPAs do not preserve the achievements made by African and other developing countries in the WTO on commodities, they contravene the G-77 position, and they serve to undermine the December 2008 modalities. As such, ACP states are advised to demand modification of the EPA General Exceptions in the negotiations towards full EPAs with the European Commission, at the same time as developing countries should bring commodities back to the forefront in the WTO agenda.

Victory for BIOWATCH in Landmark Legal Case

3 Giugno, 2009
Biowatch
Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs today handed down judgment in the Biowatch case. Calling the case “a matter of great interest to the legal profession, the general public, and bodies concerned with public interest litigation”, Justice Sachs set aside the costs order awarded against Biowatch in favour of Monsanto and further awarded legal costs in the High Court hearings in favour of Biowatch and against the state. The bench of eleven judges was unanimous in its decision.

Ken Saro-Wiwa: the day of truth?

20 Maggio, 2009
Transnational Institute / The Guardian
It will send shockwaves through boardrooms if the predictions of the executed campaigner are proved right in a US court

Lamy Cites Need for Two-Track Approach For Concluding Doha Round of Trade Talks

27 Maggio, 2009
Daily Report for Executives
World Trade Organization director-general Pascal Lamy said May 26 that WTO members should consider a two-track approach towards concluding the troubled Doha Round of trade talks, an idea already floated by the United States for breaking the deadlock in the negotiations.

Meetings where WTO Doha round could be discussed

26 Maggio, 2009
Reuters
Trade ministers and other leaders will have a number of opportunities in the coming months to negotiate the Doha round on the sidelines of a series of international meetings.

COSATU commends government’s stance not to rush to conclude Doha round

26 Maggio, 2009
COSATU
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) commends the Department of Trade and Industry for opposing the current Doha texts on agriculture and industrial goods. In a statement released on 22 May 2009, it said that SA would not rush for an imperfect Doha deal.