Archive

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.

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.

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.

World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy visited some high-ranking officials here Thursday and Friday to plead the case for resuming the long-stalled Doha Development Agenda negotiations - and then left for New York to participate in yesterday's New York City marathon

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.

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.

Police removed five protesters who interrupted World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy with cries of “the world is not for sale” and “you glorify feudalism” when he spoke at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum yesterday about the WTO and accountability.

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.

Members of the World Trade Organization negotiating the terms of Vietnam's membership concluded their talks on Thursday 26 October by accepting the accession documents that spell out Vietnam's commitments and rights.

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.