This report identifies options that negotiators and policy-makers could pursue in order to reach a permanent solution at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the problems some developing countries say they face when buying food at government-set (or government-administered) prices under their public stockholding programs for food security purposes. The …
The digital protest No one could have ever imagined that digital technology would one day prove to be a powerful weapon for protest. But while the hectic World Trade Organisation (WTO) meet in Seattle, USA, was on protests that grabbed the headlines the world over were coordinated on the Net …
The shrimp and turtle case brought up by the US against some developing nations highlights the tremendous influence civil society can wield to monitor environmental governance in other countries. It all started in 1989 when the US Congress passed a law to prohibit the import of shrimp harvested in ways …
It was yet another trade fight and just another instance of the US bulldozing its way to achieve its own purpose. But this time the fight ensued across the border with its neighbour, Canada. Utilising the conflict resolution norms stated in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the US …
Some of the chaos outside seemed to permeate into the Convention Center. It was just another day before attention shifted from the protests outside to the proceedings of the meet, and differences between political groups within the wto began to emerge. There were three main groupings: the us, the European …
The issue that surfaced first at the protest meetings outside the Seattle Convention Center and was touted by many as being the reason for the collapse of the talks was transparency within the World Trade Organization (WTO). The seriousness of the issue became apparent when even delegates at the Seattle …
Anyone familiar with the seemingly endless trade wars between the US and the European Union (EU) would not be surprised about their 1998 battle over the beef trade. It started in the 1980s, when the EU first placed a domestic ban on the use of hormones in cattle breeding. The …
Sound And Fury Every cause found a supporter at Seattle. Trade was never this politicised It was a victory for every rebel with a cause who had flocked to the us city of Seattle. The World Trade Organization's ( wto ) third ministerial trade talks, held between November 30 and …
in the recently-concluded World Trade Organisation meet in Seattle, usa, countries fought over a variety of trade-related issues, including genetically-modified (gm) foods. Ironically, a few days before the meet, one of the biggest manufacturers of gm foods, Monsanto, won an important court case in uk. Monsanto, a us-based biotech company, …
If there is any lesson that the Indian government needs to learn from Seattle it is that it must learn to work with its own civil society. While all our politicians and press commentators may remain focussed on economic issues like 'market access' and 'market control', it is ultimately the …
on the eve of the World Trade Organisation's (wto) meet in Seattle, Western environmentalists geared up to make their voices heard. They are urging the participating countries to go ahead with only those regulations that are environment-friendly. Western environmentalists believe that wto regulations do not conform to green standards and …
With the world becoming a global village, there are several problems that will require a sound understanding of the ever-changing dynamics of global trade and its impact on the environment. One such issue is the dumping of old, rejected cars from the developed world into the markets of developing countries, …
developed countries are increasingly using trade restrictions as means to enforce their concept of sustainable development. There are different international forums like the World Trade Organisation ( wto ) where trade is the primary agenda, and the United Nation conventions where the focus is on environment and sustainable development. Over …
developing countries should ensure transfer of mechanism for environmentally sound technology, capacity building and financial transfer, so that they can reduce the potential for negative environmental impact from trade liberalisation. This was stated by Klaus Topfer, executive director of United Nations Environment Programme ( unep ). He was speaking at …
to avoid a second bruising of its trade relations with the us, the European Union ( eu ) is considering three options after the World Trade Organisation ( wto ) ruled against its recent ban on hormonally-treated us beef products. The first time the eu had trade clashes with its …
On whether the World Bank ( wb ) has a hidden agenda while helping developing countries: I think its agenda has always been the belief that development can best take place in a free market system and that the role of the state in the economy should be reduced. Deregulation …
To combat world hunger and malnutrition, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced on February 15 that it would be hosting the World Food Summit between November 13 to 17. at FAO's headquarters in Rome. The Summit will be attended by heads of state and will be the first gathering …
