Archive - 2009

June 12th

STOP the Violence Against Peruvian Indigenous People: STOP NOW THE FTAs! / PAREMOS LA VIOLENCIA contra los pueblos indígenas en Perú!: PAREMOS los TLCs!

The Indigenous populations of the Peruvian Amazonia started a general and peaceful strike for almost 60 days to protest against 10 legislative decrees promoted by the Peruvian Government in order to comply with the Free trade Agreement (FTA) with US that threatens their rights and their environment. More specifically, the FTA with the US permits oil and mining companies to enter 44 out of 75 million hectares of Amazonian forest, which are Indigenous territories, without any kind of agreement or even consultation.

New world trade deal by 2010 says WTO chief

9 June, 2009
AAP Financial News
Eight torturous years of talks over a new global trade pact should reach a conclusion next year after changes in the US and Indian governments, WTO chief Pascal Lamy said on Tuesday.

June 11th

Letter to President of EC, Jose-Manuel Barroso: Suspend FTA Negotiations with Andean Countries

FoE Europe
Together with other NGOs, FoEE is sending a letter to the President of the European Commission José-Manuel Barroso to ask for a suspension of the FTA negotiations with the Andean countries (Colombia, Peru and Ecuador).

Gerak Lawan: Stop attempting to revive WTO because Doha is not solution!

SPI
Gerak Lawan (the Indonesian Peoples' Movement against Neocolonialism-imperialism) will organise an action in front of the Ministry of Commerce, Jakarta, Indonesia. The action will protest the 33rd Cairns Group Ministerial Meeting, motored by the Government of Indonesia, on June 7-9, 2009 in Bali.

India: House panel opposes foreign investment in retail

8 June, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
New Delhi: A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended a blanket ban on foreign investment in retail and has opposed even big domestic corporate entering the sector saying that it will lead to unemployment.

U.S. Civil Society Platform on Trade-Related IP and Access to Medicines Issues

8 June, 2009
Essential Action, Access to Medicines Project
The following represents four key goals that our organizations agree should guide US trade policy and practice with regard to intellectual property (IP) and health matters.

Call for "global jobs pact" amidst rising job losses

3 June, 2009
SUNS #6711
The International Labour Organization's ninety-eighth tripartite conference gets under way from 3-19 June amidst the latest ILO labour market projections showing a further increase in the number of unemployed, working poor and those in vulnerable employment

India committed to successful conclusion of Doha process: Anand Sharma

8 June, 2009
Press Information Bureau - Government of India
In his special address to the Cairns group, in Bali today, Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry has reiterated the Indian commitment to the successful conclusion of the Doha process through a constructive engagement.

World economy to shrink by 2.6% this year

29 May, 2009
SUNS #6709

Geneva, 28 May (Kanaga Raja) -- The United Nations on Wednesday downgraded its economic forecast for 2009, projecting the world economy to shrink by 2.6% this year, with the poorest countries to be hit the hardest.
 
The downgrade comes on top of an already pessimistic UN estimate five months ago, when it had projected a decline by 0.5%.
 
The even grimmer economic picture has been outlined by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) in its mid-year report "World Economic Situation and Prospects 2009".
 

June 10th

WTO to attend Cairns Group

1 June, 2009
Straits Times
WTO chief Pascal Lamy (left) will attend a meeting in Bali next week as part of attempts to restart global trade talks