Brief on Trade Facilitation Negotiations
An agreement on trade facilitation is being propped as a viable outcome from the World Trade Organization (WTO) 9th Ministerial Conference, to be held in Bali at the end of 2013. WTO Members formally agreed to launch negotiations on trade facilitation in 2004 pursuant to the July 2004 Framework Package (referred to as the post-Cancun decision) . (more…)
Brief on Bali Issues; Summary Evaluation and Recommendations
I. INTRODUCTION
The WTO Membership is looking at four mains areas for possible decisions in Bali; as of mid-September the issues have been categorized as follows, in the manner of a package: (more…)
Special And Differential Treatment Under A Potential Trade Facilitation Agreement
I. BACKGROUND
Negotiations of a trade facilitation (TF) agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) were launched pursuant to the 2004 July Framework Package (referred to as the post-Cancun decision). (more…)
‘Obama must apologise for NSA snooping’
By Shobhan Saxena
The following is an interview with former Brazilian President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, which was recently published in the Indian daily newspaper The Hindu. The interview covered a range of topical and interesting issues.
SouthViews is reproducing this interview. The copyright is with The Hindu.
No respite, 5 years after Lehman
By Martin Khor
Five years after the Lehman Brothers collapse triggered the global financial crisis, there are still no effective financial regulations in developed countries, while the developing countries face big new challenges.
The EU-CARIFORUM EPA: Regulatory and Policy Changes and Lessons for Other ACP Countries
This note assesses the state of play of EPA implementation in the CARIFORUM region. It shows that the regulatory, legislative and policy changes necessary for EPA implementation in the areas of trade in goods and services are at varying stages of implementation among member states, with many countries being very far from fully implementing the agreement. (more…)
The IP Negotiations Monitor summarizes the latest developments in multilateral and regional fora where intellectual property negotiations are taking place, and informs on upcoming meetings and events.
(Covering period: April – August 2013) (more…)
Development-led Globalization Requires De-colonizing the MDGs
By Manuel Montes
The big attraction of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), or at least the first seven of these, was their near universal acceptability. It mobilized both resources and politics, both nationally and internationally, in pursuit of reducing poverty, hunger, gender inequality, malnutrition and disease.
50 years of Development Planning in Africa: Retrospect and Prospects
By Carlos Lopes
A new era of development planning is emerging in Africa, says the new head of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, in this wide-ranging review. He gave this opening speech at the 50th anniversary conference of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP).
Africa Has Entered A New Season of Planning and Long-Term Development Thinking
By Adebayo Olukoshi
This article, originally a background note for the “IDEP at 50” Conference, traces the history of economic planning in Africa and concludes that there is now a “new season” of planning and long-term development thinking in the region. This analysis is by the Director of the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP).
G77 on Food and Agriculture: Subsidies of Rich Countries and Commodity Speculation Must Be Curbed
The G77 and China made a statement on SDGs and food security and sustainable agriculture as well as health, stressing the need for developed countries to cut rich countries’ agriculture subsidies and for curbing speculation in commodity markets that result in price volatility. Many developing countries that were self sufficient in or exporters of food now depend on imports. Below are excerpts of the statement presented by Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji, Chair of the G77 and China, on behalf of the Group, at the third session of the UN working group on SDGs, on 22 May 2013.
G77 on SDGs and Poverty Eradication
The G77 has stressed that efforts to eradicate poverty at national level have to be supported by global trade and investment rules to address developing countries’ constraints and marginalization as well as reform of the international financial institutions. Below are extracts of the G77 and China statement at the open working group on SDGs on 19 April, presented by Fiji’s deputy permanent representative Mr. Luke Daunivalu.
