Archive - 2016 - Article

The African Group on Monday (September 28) has told the United States that they will need substantial reduction commitments in the domestic support pillar of agriculture based on the 2008 revised draft modalities to conclude the Doha Round, African trade envoys told the SUNS.

Shalini Bhutani writes why the developed countries should not be allowed to expand IPR in a 21st century agenda for the WTO? The World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) insists on pate-nts in every field of technology which includes seed technolog-ies in agriculture and agrichemicals. This has a bearing on the crisis of farmers’ own seeds.

Biraj Patnaik and Timothy A. Wise in this article underline perils of Weakening the Development Agenda for Africa in the run up to 10th WTO Ministerial at Nairobi.

Today, Thursday, December 3, 10am EST, WikiLeaks releases new secret documents from the huge Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) which is being negotiated by the US, EU and 22 other countries that account for 2/3rds of global GDP. Coinciding with the ongoing climate talks in Paris, today's publication touches on issues of crucial relevance including the regulation of energy, industrial development, workers' rights and the natural environment. WikiLeaks is also publishing expert analyses of the documents.

Jude Kirton-Darling, Labour Member of the European Parliament for the North East of England, writes on International Trade in Services Agreement (TISA)

The new leaked text of the Annexes on Energy and Environmental Services for the Trade in Services Agreement was published by Wikileaks on the 3rd of December. TiSA is being negotiated by 22 countries representing 70% of global trade behind closed doors in a secret room in Geneva while all eyes are on Paris where UN public talks are in full swing to design a new climate regime.