The WTO Dispute Settlement System: Issues to Consider in the DSU Negotiations.
This TRADE Analysis discusses selected aspects of the WTO dispute settlement system that developing countries should consider as they continue to engage in the DSU negotiations. (more…)
Identification of Priorities and a Road Map in NAMA for the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference.
In his commentaries of 8 and 27 July 2005, the Chairman of the Negotiating Market Access (NGMA) has both reviewed progress in several areas of the NAMA negotiations and identified issues that will require delegations attention in the run-up to the VI WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong. (more…)
A Conceptual Framework to Understand Supply Management Programmes.
A supply management programme can be defined as a policy tool that controls the production and supply of a commodity in order to achieve a desirable price objective in a relevant market. (more…)
Issues of Interest to LDCs in the WTO Services Negotiations – Series No 3: Emergency Safeguard Mechanism.
The negotiations on Article X on an Emergency Safeguard Mechanism (ESM) of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) were initiated after the establishment of the GATS at the end of the Uruguay Round of negotiations in 1995. (more…)
A Formula for Tariff Cuts: Some Considerations with Respect to Developing Countries’ Tariff Profiles.
One of the most important elements of the mandate contained in Paragraph 16 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, and one that has attracted the foremost attention of negotiators after the adoption of the Declaration, concerns the reduction or, as appropriate, the elimination of tariffs. (more…)
Revisiting EPAs and WTO Compatibility.
The real objectives of the ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently under negotiation are poverty eradication; sustainable development; and the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world economy. (more…)
A Compilation of Negotiating Proposals on Trade Facilitation
Paragraph 27 of the 2001 Doha Ministerial Declaration states that: 27. Recognizing the case for further expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit, and the need for enhanced technical assistance and capacity building in this area, we agree that negotiations will take place after the (more…)
Issues of Interest to LDCs in the WTO Services Negotiations – Series No. 2: Telecommunications Services.
The telecommunications sector is of crucial importance in every economy. Almost every other sector of an economy depends on telecommunications services in their economic activity. Most businesses today rely to a great extent on data transmission by information and communication technologies for their operations – in other words, functioning without telecommunications services is inconceivable for most business operations. (more…)
Checklist of Questions for the Analysis of Revised Offers.
As the May deadline has passed, Members are in the process of submitting their revised offers within the context of current GATS negotiations. At the time of writing this note, the US, Canada, EC and Australia had submitted their revised offers. (more…)
Intellectual Property in Investment Agreements: The TRIPS-plus Implications for Developing Countries.
This analytical note examines, in particular, the implication of the emerging approaches relating to the fair and equitable treatment and the national and mostfavoured nation (MFN) treatment in investment agreements for the overall regimes for the protection and enforcement of IP in developing countries. (more…)
Dependency of Developing Countries on Non-Agricultural Commodities: Characteristics and Challenges.
Information on non-agricultural commodities is not as widely available as for agricultural commodities. The purpose of this paper is to identify, in contrast to agricultural commodities, what is the extent of dependency of developing countries on non-agricultural commodities, what are the main characteristics of this dependency, which developing countries are most dependent on this type of commodities and what are the challenges they face in the trade arena and from a wider developmental view. (more…)
GATS Mode 4 Negotiations and Low Skilled Workers.
This note considers the interest of least developed country (LDC) Members to participate in the market access negotiations of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The request and offer process of negotiations begins appropriately with the submittal of an initial request. (more…)
