Articles

Pursuing a Services Re-start

19 November, 2006
Washington Trade Daily
Washington and Brussels on Friday jointly reached out to a score of developing countries - including Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and Kenya, among others - to accelerate the Doha Development Agenda services negotiations, saying the time has come to enter into hard bargaining on what each can give and take in both market openings and rules.

South Korean police brace for mass protests against US free trade deal

19 November, 2006
AFP
South Korean police said Tuesday they are bracing for mass protests across the country against a proposed free trade agreement with the United States.

EU to back India’s farm interests at WTO talks

17 November, 2006
The Financial Express
The European Union on Friday indicated that it would support India

South African govt official on FTA w/ US

16 November, 2006
Washington Trade Daily
Talks between South Africa and the US on a free trade agreement hit a snag as US demands for complete access to South African markets were unacceptable, trade and industry director-general Tshediso Matona said

Japan, RP pact biased towards, Japanese Exports

14 November, 2006
IBON Foundation
The promised benefits to Philippine exports of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) may not materialize because the pact is biased towards Japanese imports, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

Democrats pledge joint stance on global trade

8 November, 2006
By Alan Beattie and Eoin Callan, Financial Times
As if to pre-empt the warnings that more Democrats meant more protectionism, newly powerful Democratic lawmakers were straight out of the traps yesterday promising bipartisan co-operation on international trade.

US, Japan may use ASEAN to railroad bilateral trade pacts

8 November, 2006
IBON Foundation
The US and Japan may use the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to negotiate and hasten onerous free trade agreements (FTAs) with member-countries to further consolidate transnational corporate dominance over local economies, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

Some doubts on Broadcast Treaty after assembly decision

6 November, 2006
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/06)
The WIPO General Assembly has adopted a decision on the protection of broadcasting organizations which goes a few steps backwards on negotiating and finalizing a new treaty on the issue.

Diplomatic conference on broadcast treaty premature

6 November, 2006
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/06)
Several developing countries cautioned against approving the recommendations of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) to convene a Diplomatic Conference on the protection of broadcasting and cablecasting organizations during discussions on this agenda item on Wednesday at the WIPO General Assembly.

WIPO general assemblies begin

6 November, 2006
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/06)
The meetings of the WIPO General Assembly (GA) began on Monday (25 September), with Members generally proclaiming their positions on issues that are expected to be contentious and to dominate much of the debate at this current annual session.

Decision taken on development agenda, patents, broadcasting

6 November, 2006
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/06)
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has adopted decisions on how to proceed on three important issues that have been pre-occupying its General Assembly in the past week.

World Bank stance on SPs, SSM assailed at WTO meet

1 November, 2006
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/05)
The World Bank has claimed at an agriculture meeting of the WTO that the use of "special products" and "special safeguard mechanism" which had been proposed by many developing countries in the Doha negotiations could undermine food supply to the world's poor.

Clash in TRIPS Council on IPR enforcement issue

1 November, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/04)
Many developing countries have opposed another attempt by the European Union and other developed countries to have the TRIPS Council of the WTO to deal with enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Clash in TRIPS Council on IPR enforcement issue

1 November, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/04)
Many developing countries have opposed another attempt by the European Union and other developed countries to have the TRIPS Council of the WTO to deal with enforcement of intellectual property rights.

G33 slams “flawed” World Bank paper on special products

31 October, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/2)
The Group of 33 in the WTO has complained to World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz about a paper on Special Products (SPs) produced by the Bank which the Group says contains a serious misrepresentation of the purpose and effects of SPs.

Protest Against 3rd Round of US-Malaysia FTA talks

29 October, 2006
News from Malaysiakini
Some 300 activists today held a noisy protest calling for the suspension of free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with the United States, Malaysia's major trading partner.

Women ‘most vulnerable’ under US-M’sia FTA

29 October, 2006
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz, MALAYSIAKINI
Women will be the worst affected by the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), said activists who co-organised a protest against the ongoing talks in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Bharatiya Kissan Union prevents contamination from a GM rice plot in Haryana:

27 October, 2006
Bharatiya Kissan Union
Finds out that farmer had not been given information on the trial in his land; Ensures that DBT guidelines are followed by the company.

Multiple problems in EPAs highlighted at workshop

26 October, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Serice on WTO and Trade Issues (Oct06/14)
The absence of development content and the severe effects of rapid trade liberalization were among key problems highlighted by policymakers and NGO participants at a workshop held here on the Economic Partnership Agreements between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group.

Multiple problems in EPAs highlighted at workshop

26 October, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The absence of development content and the severe effects of rapid trade liberalization were among key problems highlighted by policymakers and NGO participants at a workshop held here on the Economic Partnership Agreements between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group.