WTO: Doha Ministerial Conference Background Information
General Information
The Meaning of Doha
Something was launched at Doha, but to call it a "round" of trade negotiations might be stretching the concept of a round. A round means negotiations on a broad range of issues directed at trade liberalization. What was agreed at Doha were: a) negotiations to clarify or revise some existing agreements, e.g., anti-dumping rules; and b) eventual negotiations for new agreements, e.g., transparency in government procurement, investment, and competition policy.
Freedom to Trade? Trading Away American Family Farms
On January 1, 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established. It is home to a series of trade accords that include agreements on services, agriculture, intellectual property rights, and other issues never before included in international trade rules. The organization was established with a commitment to raise standards of living and ensure full employment in the context of expanding trade, while upholding the objective of sustainable development. The reality has been almost the opposite.
Top 10 Reasons to Oppose the World Trade OrganizationSponsored by Global Exchange.
Number-Crunching Reveals Heavyweights EU And US Overwhelm Poorest Countries
WDM calculated that the two richest delegations, the EU and the US, representing approximately 10% of the world's population have total combined delegation of 553 compared with a total combined delegation of just 92 for China and India representing over 40% of the world's population.
WTO Meet Endangered by Own Draft Declaration, Not Bombs
The Nigerian delegation before the WTO said the text
is "unsatisfactory because it is one-sided... and accommodates in total the
interests of developed countries, while disregarding the concerns of the
developing and least developed countries."
The WTO Draft Declaration on IP
Preparations for the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference.
Treatment of the TRIPS Agreement in Doha Minesterial Declarations
A brief commentary on some of the sections relating to TRIPS issues as they appear in the texts. The commentary relates especially to the main Ministerial Declaration and the Ministerial Declaration on Intellectual Property and Medicines/Health.
WTO Criticism
Stealing our Water: Implications of GATS for Global Water ResourcesA number of governments of the world's richest countries are pushing for
expansion of global negotiations to liberalise trade in services in the
World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The inclusion of
water services in the current proposals typifies what is wrong with the WTO
in general and GATS in particular.
Joint NGO Statement on the WTO Ministerial Declaration ProcessIn particular, many developing countries have repeatedly disagreed that negotiations should be launched on "new issues" (investment, competition, government procurement transparency and trade facilitation). Yet the draft specifically commits Ministers to agree to such negotiations, and does not provide for options.
A Mockery of a Multilateral Trading SystemWhy did the first drafts of the ministerial texts released on 26 September, create such and uproar by many developing countries? What was the process that led up to that draft and the one that will be released today or tomorrow? Who is Accountable?
False Premises
An analysis of the current WTO situation facing India. It also provides an explanation of the reasons the EU and others are advocating new issues like investment and competition.
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