| Published to the Web: Wednesday 8 January 2003 @ 3.29pm CET |
| MONITORING THE WEB On International Trade & WTO |
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Welcome to ICDA's WTOMC4 Directory
Here, you can find the latest critiques, and analyses of developments in International Trade & the World Trade Organisation (WTO). =^==================================================
WTO Impact List #342 | Wed-22 Jan 2003 | [WTO-QATAR]: ===================================================== * CHINA: Positives and Negatives of WTO Membership * INDIA: Creating a consensus on Agriculture * INDONESIA: "No" to privatization ==^================================================== List of contents: 1) IMPACT OF CHINA'S ENTRY INTO THE WTO 2) CHINA LOSING HOLD ON ITS TRADITIONAL MEDICINE 3) INDIA FOR COMMON AGRICULTURE STRATEGY AT WTO 4) CASE STUDIES OF PRIVATIZATION: A BACKLASH ==^================================================== Dear WTO Impact Lister, On December 11, 2001, China became a full member of the WTO. The first article of today’s Impact List analyses the effects its membership will have on the WTO and its other members, particularly the developing countries. Are they still Chinese traditional medicines if they don’t come from
China? Today’s second article touches on an issue that the first
analysis missed: China’s faltering grip on their traditional medicines.
The WTO-enforced 60% slash in import tariffs next year will only make it
worse…
Next, we go to India, where the Agriculture Minister recently headed off to
Geneva (for a meeting on WTO Ag negotiations, which begin today) with
a promise to forge a common agriculture strategy with “like-minded countries,”
in an effort to protect the interests of the farm sectors in developing
countries. Perhaps this will be the first step in staving off the
pointed influences of the North in agriculture negotiations?
Our last article, while not directly mentioning GATS, does a good job of
refuting the alleged benefits of privatizing water services in developing
countries, siting examples from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama and South
Africa as proof.
Soon,
Jennifer [Posted: Thursday 23 Jan'03 @ 2.19pm CET] =^================================================== WTO Impact List #337 | Wed-15 Jan 2003 | [WTO-QATAR]: ===================================================== * WTO / TRIPs: A question of glitches * SOUTH AFRICA: Frustration and famine * INDIA: Cotton, suicide and the WTO ==^================================================== List of contents: 1) WTO HOPEFUL ON MEXICO ROUND DESPITE DOHA GLITCHES 2) AFRICA: ACTIVISTS 'FRUSTRATED' BY DELAYS IN WTO TALKS 3) TRIPs: AN APPEAL TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 4) INDIA ASKS WTO TO REVERSE PANEL FINDINGS ON BED LINEN 5) FORM FARMERS MOVEMENT TO OPPOSE WTO DIRECTIVES : AICCTU ==^================================================== Dear WTO Impact Lister, We begin today’s Impact List by considering the hopeful remarks WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpadi has made over the past week regarding the Doha Development Agenda as the WTO and its members prepare for the upcoming 2003 WTO Ministerial in Cancun, Mexico. The Daily Star of Bangladesh reports that the Director General was, despite some small glitches, optimistic about the development of the unfinished agenda. Hmmmmm. In the second article, we are reminded of the pending frustrations by developing countries about the inability to access generic medicines for the millions of their citizens dying from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Despite this, the second article by the UNIRIN suggests that the Doha Declaration is the “best opportunity” for a more humane version of TRIPS – a sad state of affairs, indeed, as there is no agreement on the issue in sight. Our third article delves into the TRIPs issue with much more depth and specificity. A letter from Mr. Daya Krishan questions, among other things, the U.S. interpretation of Article 30 of the TRIPS agreement as it pertains to patent law and rights. The letter is the first of a two-part series offered by the Agbioindia Newsletter. To see the second, and equally interesting, part of Mr. Krishan’s letters, please see the following page: http://www.agbioindia.org/archive.asp?id=167. Articles four and five come from India, where the country is currently appealing an anti-dumping ruling on cotton bed linen and addressing a series of disturbing suicides and suicide attempts by workers in its agrarian sector. Both cases are linked to WTO dictates…two more instances that suggest the WTO has a bit more than a few small glitches to work out with the Doha Declaration – but then again, most of us knew that already. To quote my colleague, Emmanuel, “sober reading!” Jennifer ___________________________________ If you have any constructive suggestions or comments about the ICDA WTO Impact List, or articles and news to contribute, do not hesitate to contact us! Best regards, Emmanuel.K.Bensah & Jennifer M Cyr ekbensah@icda.be jennifercyr@icda.be ************************************************************ [Posted: Thu 16/1/2003 @ 6.06pm CET]
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