Archive - 2014 - Signon Statement

In the backdrop of agreement between India and US on public stockholdings for food security purposes this Global civil society letter highlights that the current solution is inadequate and calls upon WTO members to ensure that developing countries’ and LDCs’ interests are not sacrificed in the current negotiations and at the special General Council meeting on 26 November 2014 in order to clear the path for the TFA.

On the occasion of UNCTAD World Investment Forum 2014, on October 13-16, Global Civil Society, in a letter to Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Member States of UNCTAD underlined various issues emerge from bilateral investment treaties (BITs) including investor state dispute settlement provisions. It called for a progressive role of UNCTAD to provide support to third world governments in framing alternative policies and remove major impediments to sustainable development created by international investment agreements (IIAs).

In a statement released ahead of the WTO General Council meeting tomorrow, farmers organization in India called upon the Indian Government to stand firm on linking the Food Security proposal with the Trade Facilitation Agreement in WTO. Farmers’ leaders expressed shock over the Chair's summary of the G 20 trade ministers meeting which was held on July 19 at Sydney.

In the backdrop of trade ministers meet in Sydney, today, 164 civil society organizations and trade unions from more than 150 developing and developed countries urged government representatives in Geneva to “condition the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to the conclusion and fulfillment of the Development mandate under the Doha negotiations.”