Archive - 2015

December 18th

OWINFS members welcome WTO MC10 delegates with protest, December 18, 2015

OWINFS members welcome WTO MC10 delegates with protest, December 18, 2015.

Fore more photos of the protest see:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136911244@N07/albums/72157662389506351

December 17th

Civil society protest at 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, Nairobi, 17 December 2015

Today, a group of civil society working together through the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network, present in Nairobi for the 10th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), used the human amplification tactic of “Mike Check” to voice their concerns about the WTO negotiations. Civil society leaders demanded that no so-called “new issues” should be put on the agenda, particularly while the development mandate has not been concluded.

OWINFS members protest at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, held at KICC at Nairobi, December 16, 2015

OWINFS members protest at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, held at KICC at Nairobi, December 15, 2015

OWINFS members protest at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, held at KICC at Nairobi, December 16, 2015

OWINFS members protest at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, held at KICC at Nairobi, December 16, 2015 They raised slogans including No New Issues!! Permanent solution to food stockholding now!!

December 14th

For Press: Trade Union & NGO Experts' Contacts for MC10 WTO Ministerial meeting in Nairobi, Kenya December 15 – 18, 2015

14 December, 2015
Please find contact information for civil society representatives in attendance at WTO MC10, working in coordination with Our World is Not For Sale (OWINFS) global network and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

December 9th

Global Civil Society letter on the Nairobi Ministerial of the World Trade Organization (WTO), December 9, 2015

9 December, 2015
As members of 453 civil society organizations including trade unions, environmentalists, farmers, development advocates, and public interest groups from over 150 countries, we are writing today to express extreme alarm about the current situation of the negotiations in the WTO. We urge you to take seriously the need for the upcoming Nairobi Ministerial to change existing WTO rules to make the global trading system more compatible with people-centered development, and to forestall efforts by some developed countries to abandon the development agenda and replace it with a set of so-called “new issues” that actually are non-trade issues that would impact deeply on domestic economies and constrain national policy space required for development and public interest.

November 7th

Switzerland’s largest city declares “Tisa-Free Zone”

6 November, 2015
Public Services International (PSI)
The city of Zurich has voted to declare itself a TISA-free zone, in a move which emphasizes a growing resistance to the secret trade talks. A proposal introduced to the Zurich Communal Council by the Green Party was passed by a firm majority and could help to establish a precedent for other regions across Europe who may hope to do the same.

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.

November 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