BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest (brid
...@iatp.org) Posted: 02/20/2002 By brid
...@iatp.org
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BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest - Vol. 6, Number 6 20 February, 2002
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Table of Contents
I. LEAD STORIES
- WTO Agrees On Chairs, Ready To Begin Substantive Negotiations
- WTO Development Committee Tweaks Technical Assistance Plan
- New Proposed EU WSSD Strategy Heavy On Globalisation
II. IN BRIEF
- Species-rich Countries Band Together To Fight Biopiracy
- US Gives Textile Quota Concessions To Pakistan
- Bush's Climate Policy Met With Disappointment
- Pakistani Drug Industry Receives Favourable Court Ruling
- US Senator Expects Senate To Address Trade Bill In March
III. WTO IN BRIEF
- Moore Advocates Negotiations On Investment, Other Singapore Issues
- Director-General Designate Supachai Panitchpakdi Emphasises Technical Assistance
- FSC: US Questions Scale Of Sanctions Claimed By EC
IV. EVENTS & RESOURCES
- Events
- Resources
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Lead Stories
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WTO AGREES ON CHAIRS, READY TO BEGIN SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
On 15 February, WTO Members re-convened their deferred General Council
session (from 13 February) to agree on Chairs for both new negotiating
groups and regular bodies of the WTO. The decision, based on many weeks
of informal consultations by former General Council Chair Stuart
Harbinson, paves the way for Members to begin scheduling the
negotiations timetable to execute the mandate from the Doha Ministerial
Declaration agreed in Qatar last November (see BRIDGES Weekly, 5
February 2002, http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/02-02-05/story1.htm).
Negotiating group chairs
While Chairs from the developing country group in the WTO in general
are well represented on the new slate, the two major negotiating
groups -- on non-agricultural market access and rules -- are chaired by
developed country representatives (Amb. Pierre-Louise Girard of
Switzerland and Amb. Timothy John Groser of New Zealand, respectively).
The other Chairpersons for the negotiating sessions are: Amb. Yolande
Bike of Gabon for the Special Sessions of the Committee on Trade and
Environment; Amb. Ransford Smith of Jamaica for the Special Sessions of
the Committee on Trade and Development (on Special and Differential
Treatment); Amb. Eui Yong Chang of Korea for the Special Sessions of
the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPs); and Amb. Peter Balas of Hungary for the Special Sessions of
the Dispute Settlement Body.
Stuart Harbinson will now Chair the Special Sessions of the Committee
on Agriculture, which many observers note to be the most politically
sensitive issue to be handled in the new round. Chile's Ambassador
Alejandro Jara will chair the Special Sessions of the Council on Trade
in Services.
The appointment of the trade negotiation groups means that Members can
now begin sector-by-sector negotiations based on the Doha Ministerial
Declaration.
Non-transparency and meeting frequency still a problem
There was some controversy over the appointment of the chair for the
negotiation sessions of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD).
Pakistan pushed for its Ambassador, Munir Akram, to head the CTD,
supported by China and by a number of other developing countries.
Pakistan's attempt was thwarted by the US and other developed
countries, who opposed the Pakistani ambassador due to his reputation
as a staunch defender of certain developing country interests. Akram's
supporters said their position was motivated by complaints against the
lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the selection of the chairs,
concerns that forced the General Council to end the 13 February meeting
without a decision and re-convene on the 15th. "We didn't want to delay
the process any longer," Zimbabwe's ambassador Boniface Guwa
Chidyausiki said in explaining their decision to finally approve the
new chairs. "I think we made our point." Even WTO Director-General Mike
Moore, who will initially chair the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC),
the body responsible for supervising the Doha negotiations, told
reporters on 15 February that, "Members did express, and this is fair,
concern about our processes and I absolutely agree with them".
Complaints about non-transparency in major decision-making processes
have dogged the WTO since before the Doha Ministerial.
At the 13 February General Council session, WTO Deputy Director-General
Miguel Rodriguez presented his findings on the issue of scheduling of
WTO meetings. He pointed out that "developing country Members...have
stressed the need for a rational approach that avoids too many meetings
being held at the same time, in particular given that the Doha
negotiations and work programme are now getting under way." Rodriguez
warned Members that they were "headed for trouble", in that the WTO
consisted of 67 bodies, plus the TNC, the two new negotiating groups,
and six Special negotiating Sessions of existing bodies. Last year,
there were almost 400 formal meetings, plus approximately 500 informal
meetings and around 90 other gatherings, such as symposia, workshops
and seminars. All these competed for Members' time, which, given the
small (2-3 persons) size of some delegations, can present a major
constraint.
Rodriguez suggested a number of improvements in order to make effective
participation possible in the upcoming negotiations and work programme.
He urged first and foremost that existing 1995 guidelines should be
followed. The 1995 guidelines include: (a) no more than two formal
meetings should be held simultaneously, and only one negotiating body
should meet at the same time; (b) meetings should be spread out as
evenly as possible throughout the week and throughout the calendar
year; and (c) meeting dates should not be altered, except for
overriding political or technical reasons. In addition, he suggested
that negotiating sessions should be held back-to-back with regular
meetings of the relevant WTO bodies in order to facilitate
participation, and that the Chair of the General Council and TNC Chairs
could consider reporting regularly, preferably at ever regular meeting
of these bodies, on the implementation of the above guidelines.
Rodriguez's full submission can be viewed at:
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news02_e/gc_ddgstat_13feb_e.htm.
The chairs of the negotiating groups will preside until the WTO's next
Ministerial Conference in Mexico due to take place in the second half
of 2003. Regular WTO body chairs preside for one year.
Regular WTO bodies
Canadian Ambassador Sergio Marchi was selected to take over from Stuart
Harbinson as Chair of the General Council. According to the Doha
Ministerial Declaration, the TNC operates under the authority of the
General Council, and according to the decision taken on 3 February, the
TNC should report to each regular meeting of the General Council.
Chairs for the regular bodies for 2002 are as follows:
Dispute Settlement Body: Ambassador Carlos Pirez del Castillo (Uruguay)
Trade Policy Review Body: Ambassador Amina Chawahir Mohamed (Kenya)
Council for Trade in Goods: Ambassador M.Supperamaniam (Malaysia)
Council for Trade in Services: Ambassador Mary Whelan (Ireland) Council
for TRIPS: Ambassador Eduardo Pirez Motta (Mexico) Committee on Budget,
Finance and Administration: Mr Neil McMillan (United Kingdom) Committee
on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions: Ambassador Anda Cristina Filip
(Romania) Committee on Trade and Development: Ambassador Toufiq Ali
(Bangladesh) Committee on Regional Trade Agreements: Ambassador
Boniface Guwa Chidyausiku (Zimbabwe) Committee on Trade and
Environment: Ambassador Opuz Demiralp (Turkey) Working Group on the
Relationship between Trade and Investment: Ambassador Luiz Felipe de
Seixas Corrja (Brazil) Working Group on the Interaction between Trade
and Competition Policy: Professor Fridiric Jenny (France) Working Group
on Transparency in Government Procurement: Ambassador Ronald Sabormo
Soto (Costa Rica) Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance: Ambassador
Hernando Josi Gsmez (Colombia) Working Group on Trade and Transfer of
Technology: Ambassador Stefan Haukur Jshanesson (Iceland) Committee on
Agriculture: Dr Magdi Farahat (Egypt).
For further information on WTO bodies, see:
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org2_e.htm. On the
Trade Negotiations Committee and the Doha agenda, see:
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/dda_e.htm.
"WTO Members Reach Agreement On Chair Lineup for Subsidiary Bodies,"
WTO REPORTER, 19 February 2002; ICTSD Internal Files.
WTO DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TWEAKS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PLAN
The second meeting of 2002 of the Committee on Trade and Development
(CTD) convened on 14 February. This 38th Session of the CTD had a
varied agenda looking primarily at elections for CTD and LDC Chairs and
further work on the annual technical assistance plan.
With no consensus prevailing on the slate of Chair candidates presented
at the 13 February General Council (G-C) meeting (see related article,
this issue), the agenda items of electing the Chairs for both the CTD
and Sub-Committee on LDCs were postponed -- pending G-C consensus on a
range of appointments. Thus incumbent Chair Ambassador Nathan Irumba of
Uganda continued under that capacity.
Technical Assistance (TA) Plan -- revisions still underway
As a result of the Chair impasse, Members addressed the Coordinated
Annual Technical Assistance Plan (WT/COMTD/W/95/Rev.1) as the primary
item of discussion for the meeting. The Plan is an annual note from the
Secretariat outlining its intended Technical Assistance aims for the
year. With so much weight being ascribed to technical assistance (TA)
and capacity-building (CB) in the recent Doha texts (see BRIDGES
http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/01-12-20/story1.htm), the scope and impact
of this year's plan is of key importance to many Members.
The broad theme of the revisions to date is to explicitly tie the
planned TA activities to the 11 operative paragraphs of the Doha
Declaration -- from which the enhanced TA & CB mandates stem (these are
paragraphs 16, 21, 24, 26, 27, 33, 38, 39, 40, 42, and 43). For
example, in the charts showing the various planned activities by
region, a new column -- entitled "Doha TC/CB Mandate" -- has been added
to indicate which of the 11 aforementioned paragraphs the activity is
related to.
Another area where revisions were requested was in balancing the
ability of the WTO Secretariat to carry out planned activities with
adequate flexibility for ad hoc requests. The initial version of the
Plan notes, "ad hoc requests shall not exceed 20 percent of the total
number of planned activities." The revised version eliminates that
figure, and provides a more detailed description of how these requests
had a "destabilising" effect on former TA plans and how they impacted
the Secretariat's ability to focus and deliver on planned activities.
As such, the revision now states that requests "shall be limited to the
barest minimum". Furthermore, in light of the greater level of
activities scheduled for 2002, the Secretariat "shall attach priority
to planned activities," and ad hoc requests shall thus be "considered
for the 2003 Plan, except in the most exceptional circumstances."
Annexes on Singapore issues and environment
The focus of Annex I of the Plan is the 'Singapore issues' (Competition
Policy, Investment, Transparency in Government Procurement, and Trade
Facilitation). As noted in the first sentence of the Annex, the greater
TA Plan "contains activities focusing in particular on the Singapore
issues." The Annex is intended to show the broad conception and design
of how TA & CB will be delivered in these areas -- so that developing
countries and LDCs will have the capacity to prepare for negotiations
in these areas.
One meeting attendee noted however that this particular language was
opposed by some of the traditional critics of the inclusion of the
Singapore issues (India, Pakistan, etc.) and is to be one of the areas
to see further revision. One trade analyst speculated that the
intensive focus on these issues -- for which most developing countries
are not demandeurs -- is putting a bit of a strain on finalising the
plan.
This revision of Annex I has in fact little in the way of changes,
outside of the introduction of a qualification in the ' transparency in
government procurement' section which subjects regional and sub-
regional seminars and workshops focused on informing capital-based
officials to potential resource limitations. It also explicitly
indicates that these activities are listed in Sections I and III.
A new Annex is also introduced touching on trade and environment. It
notes an understanding reached between the WTO Secretariat and the UNEP
Secretariat on the need for collaborative organising of seminars,
capacity building, and the delivery of other activities as necessary.
The next CTD regular session is scheduled for 23 April.
CTD Special Session on Special and Differential Treatment (S&D)
As per guidelines for the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) agreed
upon by the G-C on 3 February (see BRIDGES Weekly 05 February,
http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/02-02-05/story1.htm), the review of all S&D
provisions are to be carried out by the CTD in Special Sessions. This
first session was held upon conclusion of the 14 February CTD regular
session, but was immediately postponed as Chairs for the CTD regular
and special sessions had yet to be decided (see related story for list
of Chairs chosen on 15 February).
With Jamaican Ambassador Ransford Smith taking up the Chair of the
Special Session until the 5th Ministerial (late 2003), a rescheduled
date is expected soon. Sources indicate the session should reconvene
sometime in the next two weeks, and that in general, it will meet
roughly once per month -- as Members attempt to meet the fast-
approaching deadline of 31 July for making recommendations on S&D to
the G-C.
ICTSD Internal Files.
NEW PROPOSED EU WSSD STRATEGY HEAVY ON GLOBALISATION
On 13 February, EU Development Commissioner Poul Nielson presented a
long awaited Communication prepared by the European Commission on the
EU's external sustainable development (SD) strategy designed -- amongst
other things -- to establish policy components for a "Global Deal" at
the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). Unlike
previous SD-related communications from the EU's executive body, the
new paper emphasises the beneficial effects of globalisation with
regard to economic development, living standards and "global resource
efficiency" resulting from optimal exploitation of
countries' "comparative advantages". Moreover, the Commission creates a
link between poverty and deprivation, on the one hand, and
international terrorism, on the other.
Referring to the strategy components in the paper that address the
November 2001 WTO Doha Ministerial, the 18-22 March Conference on
Financing and Development to be held in Monterrey, Mexico, as well as
the WSSD in Johannesburg, Nielson told a 13 February press conference
(viewable at http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?reslist)
that he would like "to underline the importance of the totality of
this." Doha on its own, Monterrey on its own and Johannesburg on its
own weren't enough, he said, "but the totality of these events is."
Commenting on what Friends of the Earth Europe called a "trade driven
agenda", a Green Member of the European Parliament (EP) cautioned that
the original focus of "put[ting] "environmentally sustainable practices
at the forefront of international policy making" at the WSSD was now at
risk of being replaced by a more free trade-driven development
approach. Vice president of the EP's Environment Committee, Alexander
de Roo, voiced discontent with the fact that both the proposed EU
external SD strategy as well as the Chairman's summary of the second
meeting in end-January of the WSSD Preparatory Committee (PREPCOM2)
(downloadable at
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/documents/prepcom2.html)
were "built on the same agenda: the need to support the multilateral
trading system". "The UN needs to confront the WTO paradigm, not to
endorse it," he added.
The Commission's Communication, entitled "Towards a Global Partnership
For Sustainable Development", sets out a strategic workplan to address
the "three inter-related components" of SD (i.e. economic, social and
environmental), as well as its "necessary preconditions for success".
These include "greater coherence of EU policies, improved governance at
all levels, and increased financial resources to implement the
necessary policies". The document intends to add an "external
dimension" to the general European Union Strategy for Sustainable
Development adopted at last year's Goeteborg European Council. In
general, the paper notes that "humankind is increasingly aware that it
shares a common and interlinked future" and that "conflict and
injustice on the other side of the world can have direct repercussions
close to home". In addition, poverty and deprivation, which were
a "breeding ground for discontent and anger", create, according to the
Commission, a situation in which "ethnic and religious issues are
easily exploited and magnified."
The paper is downloadable at
http://global.finland.fi/julkaisut/pdf/EU_SDS130202.pdf)
Globalisation
Within the EU's over-all SD strategy (accessible at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eussd/) and the February 2001
Communication put forward by the Commission, entitled "Ten years after
Rio: Preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002"
(accessible at http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/agend21/), the
first EU priority objective identified in the recent paper is the
bullet "Harnessing globalisation: trade for sustainable development".
According to the Commission, the "Doha Development Agenda (DDA)"
embodied in the Doha Ministerial Declaration "epitomises the integrated
approach to managed globalisation" which puts market liberalisation
into a wider context by addressing the environment as well as so-
called "Singapore-issues" such as competition, investment and trade
facilitation.
In order to "maximise the benefits of globalisation while minimising
the costs," the Commission proposes inter alia to: (i) promote "further
liberalisation and expansion of trade" in the new round of WTO talks;
(ii) help developing countries to integrate in the global trading
system by building capacity and support to "overcome supply-side
constraints" such as underdeveloped investment promotion as well as
marketing channels; (iii) integrate sustainability parameters in
a "more modulated" Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to be
introduced in 2004; and (iv) promote a closer cooperation between the
WTO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariats of
multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) as well as the
International Labour Organisation.
Environment
Under the third item "Sustainable management of environmental
resources", the Commission highlights ecological problems such as
climate change, energy consumption and transport, lack of water
resources and depleted fish stocks. In response, the Communication
proposes inter alia to promote a strategic international partnership on
sustainable water resource management, a European action plan on forest
law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) as well as a European
Union strategy for distant water fisheries. Furthermore, the Commission
suggests to replenish the Global Environment Facility (GEF) by 50
percent and to expand its mandate to cover land degradation,
deforestation and the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Convention
[The GEF was established at the 1991 "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro
to forge international cooperation and finance actions mainly to
address biodiversity loss, climate change, degradation of international
waters, and ozone depletion].
Notably, unlike the Commission's preceding SD strategy papers, the new
Communication does not make a direct reference to the debate on
clarifying the relationship between WTO rules and environmental policy
and therefore does not address issues such as labelling, process and
production methods (PPMs) or the precautionary principle.
Other issues
As "in several important areas, existing European Union policies may
also conflict with sustainable development objectives," the Commission
states that the EU will continue to pursue SD objectives in its
Community policies on agriculture and fisheries so as to make EU
policies more coherent. Under "Financing sustainable development", the
paper proposes to bring, as an intermediate target, all EU member
states' official development aid (ODA) up to the minimum level of 0.33
percent of GNP as of 2006.
The European Parliament will now have the opportunity to respond to the
Commission's Communication. The external SD strategy will then be
addressed at the Barcelona European Council in 15-16 March before it
will be put forward at the WSSD in Johannesburg to be held from 26
August to 4 September.
"Sustainable Development Agenda Risks Being Hi-Jacked," GREENS/EFA
PRESS RELEASE, 13 February 2002. ICTSD Internal Files.
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In Brief
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SPECIES-RICH COUNTRIES BAND TOGETHER TO FIGHT BIOPIRACY
Twelve of the world's most ecologically diverse nations signed an
agreement in Cancun, Mexico, on 18 February to protect against
biopiracy and advocate rules protecting their people's rights to
genetic resources found on their territory. The alliance, formally
called the Group of Allied Mega-Biodiverse Nations, brings together the
biodiversity-rich countries of Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and
Venezuela. Citing perceived deficiencies in the 1992 U.N. Convention on
Biological Diversity, which contains anti-biopiracy language, the group
said it would push for a stricter international treaty at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August.
Specifically, it will seek new trade rules for patenting and
registering products made from their plant and animal resources in
order to curb foreign "prospecting" of local species. "Up to now, our
nations have not benefited from this great wealth because there hasn't
been an equal sharing between the nations involved nor with the rural
and Indian groups that use and protect biodiversity," said Mexican
Environment Secretary Victor Lichtinger.
"China, Brazil, India, Others sign Anti-Biopiracy Pact," ASSOCIATED
PRESS, 18 February 2002; "BIOPIRACY: 12 Nations Form Alliance To Battle
Genetic Prospecting," UNWIRE, 19 February 2002.
US GIVES TEXTILE QUOTA CONCESSIONS TO PAKISTAN
The US Administration on 14 February announced a package for Pakistani
textiles worth USD 476 million over three years in the form of quota
increases of 15 percent in seven categories and some additional
flexibility to use unfilled quotas in other categories, granted as part
of the US' commitment to Pakistan for its help in the 'war on
terrorism'. The deal falls far short of Pakistan's original demand of
trade benefits worth USD 1.4 billion, including suspension of all
apparel tariffs until 2005 and quota increases for certain products.
According to trade sources, the US Administration thereby tried to
fulfil its commitment to House Republican textile caucus members --
made during negotiations on Trade Promotion Authority in 2001 -- to
minimise the impact of any assistance granted to Pakistan on the US
textile and apparel industry. Following the announcement, textile
industry representatives warned that the deal would have a significant
economic impact on the domestic apparel industry and might set a
precedent for other countries involved in the war on terrorism,
including Turkey and India, to ask for similar benefits.
"While House grants Pakistan quota concessions worth half a billion,"
INSIDE US TRADE, 15 February 2002.
BUSH'S CLIMATE POLICY MET WITH DISAPPOINTMENT
Environmental groups sharply criticised US President George W. Bush's
climate policy released last week, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions through voluntary action. The Plan links a reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions -- a GHG linked to global warming -- to growth
in US gross domestic product (GDP) by setting a goal of reducing
emissions from 183 on 151 metric tons per million dollars in GDP by
2012. According to Friends of the Earth International (FoEI), such a
ceiling will actually allow for continued increases in US GHG
emissions. "The US is the world's biggest polluter," said Kate Hampton
of FoEI. "It is outrageous that President Bush is still refusing to cut
emissions in order to avoid upsetting the powerful US fossil fuel
lobby." Former Vice President Al Gore also joined in the
criticism. "Instead of accepting an accord endorsed by over 170
nations, President Bush has put forward a plan that falls far short of
the needs of both America and the world," he said. Bush's rejection of
the Kyoto Protocol in March last year evoked international outrage
among governments and environmental groups (see BRIDGES Weekly, 27
March 2001; http://www.ictsd.org/html/weekly/27-03-01/story3.htm).
"Bush climate plan disappoints as UN meeting ends," REUTERS, 18
February 2002; "Bush's climate con," FoIE PRESS RELEASE, 14 February
2002.
PAKISTANI DRUG INDUSTRY RECEIVES FAVOURABLE COURT RULING
In a ground-breaking decision by a sessions court in Rawalpindi,
Pakistan, the right of a local pharmaceutical company, Werrick, to
manufacture an anti-diabetic drug that the multinational firm Smith
Kline Beecham said it had a patent on was upheld. Pakistani officials
expect the decision to pave the way for cheaper drugs to reach more
people, critical to a country where forty-five percent of the
population lacks access to primary health care. Werrick manufactures
the drug with a brand name of Schezonin and sells 10 tablets for 83
rupees ($US1.38) while the foreign firm sells the same drug with the
brand name Zyprexa at 1,320 rupees ($US22) per seven tablets, leading
Werrick counsel Rehannuddin Khan Golra to argue that local companies
could sell the drug for 400-500 percent less than multinational firms.
While handed down in January but not made public until 4 February, the
decision comes at a welcome time for Pakistan, which has recently faced
rising prices due to tighter patent laws in order to follow world trade
rules. In order to meet its obligations under the Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS), Pakistan enacted a
Patent Ordinance in December 2000 that allows patents on products and
processes. Previously, the country only granted patents on processes,
enabling local companies to manufacture various branded products of
multinational companies using slight variations in the manufacturing
process.
"Pakistan: Local Drug Industry Gets Shot in the Arm," IPS/MUDDASSIR
RIZVI, 12 February 2002.
US SENATOR EXPECTS SENATE TO ADDRESS TRADE BILL IN MARCH
On 12 February, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said that
he expected the Senate to begin long-awaited action on a bill to give
President George W. Bush authority to strike major trade deals to begin
in early March. The legislation would allow Bush to strike trade deals
that Congress could approve or reject, but not amend, an authority that
the White House has not had since 1994 because of disagreements between
Republicans and Democrats over various trade-related issues, including
how to handle labour and environmental concerns related to trade. The
US House of Representatives passed trade promotion authority by one
vote last December (see BRIDGES Weekly, 12 December 2001,
http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/01-12-12/story5.htm). Proponents say that
the legislation is necessary for the US to reach new agreements in
talks that began this year under the WTO and for Bush to achieve his
goal of creating a Western Hemispheric free trade zone by the end of
his first term in January 2005. In contrast, Republicans have objected
to the estimated $8.6 billion cost of the "trade adjustment assistance"
bill that has been pushed by Democrats that would aid federal workers
in "secondary" industries that do business with firms directly hit by
trade competition.
"Baucus See Senate Action on US Trade Package Soon," REUTERS, 12
February 2002.
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WTO In Brief
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MOORE ADVOCATES NEGOTIATIONS ON INVESTMENT, OTHER SINGAPORE ISSUES
In an opinion piece published in the 17 February edition of the
Financial Times, WTO Director-General Mike Moore pushed for the
establishment of "clear, transparent and predictable global rules for
investment." Moore qualified his comments by indicating that there was
a need to attract more investment to poorer countries, and that global
rules could play a role in this regard. Many developing countries are
concerned that investment rules could curtail their ability to tailor
their domestic investment regimes to their particular economic
situation, while many non-governmental groups fear enforceable
multilateral investment rules would give corporations the right to sue
governments over laws they deem as tantamount to expropriation. Moore
also advocated the development dimension of the other so-
called 'Singapore' issues -- competition policy, transparency in
government procurement, and trade facilitation -- that were pushed
primarily by the European Communities at the Doha Ministerial in
November last year. He said that developing countries were in a
position to impose 'conditionalities' of capacity-building and
technical assistance on developed country Members. Members agreed to
begin negotiations on the Singapore issues after the next Ministerial
Conference in 2003, as long as there is agreement among Members on the
nature of those negotiations.
"Moore speaks out on WTO rules," FINANCIAL TIMES, 18 February
2002; "Development needs more than trade," FINANCIAL TIMES, 17 February
2002.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL DESIGNATE SUPACHAI PANITCHPAKDI EMPHASISES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
On 5 February, following an address to business representatives and
government officials in Washington DC, WTO Director-General designate
Supachai Panitchpakdi told reporters that a "successful round" of
multilateral trade negotiations would depend on whether early agreement
on agriculture could be reached, and whether the demands of developing
countries on technical assistance (TA) were met. Supachai pointed to a
lack of resources as the cause of the inadequacy in the current
programs, and accordingly, indicated that a pledging conference was set
to occur on 11 March towards the WTO technical assistance trust fund
for developing and least-developed countries (see BRIDGES Weekly, 12
December 2001, http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/01-12-12/story3.htm).
However, Supachai warned that the TA requests from developing
countries "is much more comprehensive than only technical capacity
building and participating in the negotiations." He suggested that the
trust fund would not in itself be enough to satisfy all the commitments
towards TA made in the Doha Ministerial Declaration. He proposed three
ways the WTO could improve its delivery of TA: (a) that the WTO should
work with the World Bank to help developing countries diversify their
production as a form of trade-related development; (b) that the WTO
help poorer Members analyse trade options in order to set their own
agendas; and (c) that the WTO should work with the International
Monetary Fund and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
to help create a macro-economic framework that would include the
promotion of investment in the developing world.
"Supachai Ties Round's Successes To Improved Technical Assistance,"
INSIDE US TRADE, 8 February 2002.
FSC: US QUESTIONS SCALE OF SANCTIONS CLAIMED BY EC
Following up on its intention to challenge the $US4.043 billion in
trade sanctions claimed by the European Communities in their WTO
dispute with the US over corporate export tax subsidies (Foreign Sales
Corporations - FSC), the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)
on 14 February announced its calculation of the level of retaliation it
deems appropriate for the case. The USTR figure of $US956 million is
less than a quarter of the EU's claim (see BRIDGES Weekly, 16 January
2002, at http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/02-01-16/wtoinbrief#2.htm).
According to one US trade official, the USTR subtracted from the EC
number FSC payments for service exports, which are not covered by WTO
subsidies agreements. Both parties must submit briefs on their
calculations by 26 February, and an arbitration decision is set for 29
April, following a WTO arbitration hearing on 7 March. The full US
submission to the arbitrator can be viewed at:
http://www.ustr.gov/enforcement/2002-02-14-fsc-arbitration-
firstwritten.pdf.
"U.S. To Challenge Level of Trade Sanctions Claimed by EU," WASHINGTON
FILE, 8 February 2002; "USTR Challenges EU Sanctions Claim in FSC
Case," THE UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, 14 February
2002.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Events & Resources
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENTS
EVENTS
For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable
development, please refer to ICTSD's web calendar at:
http://www.ictsd.org/cal/index.htm.
Coming Up This Week: 19-26 February
18-19 February, Nuremberg, Germany: INTERNATIONAL HARMONISATION AND
EQUIVALENCE IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE. The conference is jointly organised
by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, FAO
and UNCTAD. Organisers of the conference hope to bring clarity to the
current situation and identify and recommend models for interaction
between the public and private sectors in the field of organic
standards, conformity assessment and accreditation. For further
information contact: UNCTAD Press Unit; tel: (41-22-9071) 646-5828;
email: pr...@unctad.org; Internet:
http://www.unctad.org\trade_env\index.htm and
http://www.ifoam.org/conf/cog_speakerprog.html.
18-21 February, Geneva, Switzerland: UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE
AND DEVELOPMENT-COMMISSION ON ENTERPRISE, BUSINESS FACILITATION AND
DEVELOPMENT. At its sixth session, the Commission will consider three
substantive items and the reports of related expert meetings. The first
item (item 3) deals with enhancing the competitiveness of developing
countries through the use of electronic commerce in international
transport services. The second item (item 4) deals with improving the
competitiveness of SMEs in developing countries: the role of finance,
including e-finance, to enhance enterprise development. The third item
(item 5) deals with mainstreaming gender in order to promote
opportunities. For further information contact: fax: (41-22) 917-0056;
email: corresponde...@unctad.org; Internet: http://unctad.org/. All
enquiries should be addressed to the substantive officers concerned:
item 3: tel: (41-22) 917-2038; email: gary.cr...@unctad.org; item 4:
tel: (41-22) 917-5838; email: rouben.indjik...@unctad.org; item 5: tel:
(41-22) 917-5690; email: gloria-veronica.koch@unctad.
20 February, Brussels, Belgium: HOW TO ENSURE ACP-EU TRADE ARRANGEMENTS
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST POVERTY IN THE ACP: THE ROLE OF
CIVIL SOCIETY. Organised by Eurostep, speakers at the meeting will
include Mr. Sutiawan Gunessee - Ambassador of Mauritius, Mr. Renwick
Rose - Windward Island Farmers Association, and Mr. Karl Friedrich
Falkenberg - Director, DG Trade, European Commission. The Co-President
of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, MEP Glenys Kinnock, will
chair the meeting. For further information contact: Eurostep, 115 Rue
Stivin, 1000 Brussels, Belgium; tel: (32-2) 231-1659; fax: (32-2) 230-
3780; email: ad...@eurostep.org; Internet:
http://www.oneworld.org/eurostep.
20-21 February, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: CONTINENTAL ENERGY MARKETS AND
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: THE IMPLICATIONS. The meeting, hosted by the
Canadian Energy Research Institute and the International Institute for
Sustainable Development, will feature speakers who will discuss: The
Bush Energy Plan Alternatives to the Supply Side Solution Implications
of the US Scenarios Innovative Approaches. This conference will explore
a range of options related to the development of continental energy
markets, in particular focusing on the implications of such development
for meeting commitments to effectively address climate change. For
further information contact: tel: (1-403) 220-2380; fax: 289-2344;
Internet: http://www.ceri.ca/confer_env.htm.
21-22 February, Brussels, Belgium: POLICY DIALOGUE ON PROMOTING
PRODUCTION AND TRADING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
This meeting is an activity of the UNEP-UNCTAD Task Force on Capacity-
building on Trade, Environment and Development. For further information
contact: UNCTAD Press Unit; tel: (41-22-9071) 646-5828; email:
pr...@unctad.org; Internet: http://www.unctad.org\trade_env\index.htm.
21-23 February, Lyon, France: EARTH DIALOGUES - GLOBALIZATION AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - IS ETHICS THE MISSING LINK? Organised by
Green Cross International, Earth Dialogues will provide a forum for
debate on the world's most acute problems. Participants will share
their views on how to forge the essential links between globalisation,
sustainable development and ethics. For further information contact:
Earth Dialogues Secretariat; tel: (41-22) 789-1662; email:
secretar...@gci.ch; Internet:
http://www.greencrossinternational.net/pdf/Earth_Dialogue.pdf. From
IISD Linkages: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/journal/.
22 February, Darlington, UK: EXPLORING GLOBALISATION. Hosted by
Schumacher College. The symposium, led by Ann Pettifor, Tariq Banuri
and Wolfgang Sachs, will explore the many impacts of globalisation on
people and the planet - economic, social and ecological. For further
information contact: Administration, Schuhmacher College, Darlington;
tel: (44-1803) 865-934; fax: 866-899; email: schumc...@gn.apc.org;
Internet: http://www.gn.apc.org/schumachercollege/collprog.htm.
22 February, Brussels, Belgium: COORDINATION OF EUROPEAN NGOS WORKING
ON TRADE (CENNT) MEETING. The meeting will hold in-depth information
exchange on a variety of topics as well as Reports of WTO MC4 and how
to follow-up. A final meeting before its full transformation into the
European Trade Network, or ETN. For further information contact: ICDA
Secretariat, Rue Stevin 115-1000 Brussels-Belgium; tel: (32-3) 230-
0430; email: ekben...@icda.be; Internet: http://www.icda.be/.
25 February, Brussels, Belgium: EUROPE IN THE WORLD WORKSHOP. The
workshop is being organised by the European Rio+10 Coalition. For
further information contact: European Partners for the Environment;
fax: (32-2) 539-4815; email: i...@epe.be; Internet: http://www.epe.be/.
25 February, Zurich, Switzerland: DOING BUSINESS WITH CHINA AND TAIWAN:
WTO ACCESSION AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR BUSINESS. The purpose of the
conference is to provide in-depth insights into the substance and the
effects of WTO accession by China and Taiwan, including the range of
legal and administrative reforms that accompany it. For further
information contact: Carol George, Baker & McKenzie, London; tel: (0-
207) 919-1147; email: w
...@bakernet.com.
26-27 February, Brussels, Belgium: INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PROMOTING
PRODUCTION AND TRADING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
The workshop will explore opportunities for promoting production and
trade in organic agricultural products by developing countries. Focus
will be given to examining the role organic agriculture can play to
simultaneously meet developmental and environmental objectives, and to
identifying ways to enhance market access for developing country
exports of organic agriculture products. For further information
contact: email: e...@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.unep.ch/etu.
WTO Events
An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted at:
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.doc. Please bear in mind that
dates and times of WTO meetings are often changed, and that the WTO
does not always announce the important informal meetings of the
different bodies. Unless otherwise indicated, all WTO meetings are held
at the WTO, Centre William Rappard, rue de Lausanne 154, 1211 Geneva,
Switzerland. For further information on WTO events contact: WTO
Information and Media Relations Division, Geneva; tel: (41-22) 739-
5007; fax: 739-5458; email: enquir...@wto.org.
19-20 February, Geneva, Switzerland: GATS BRIEFING SEMINAR ON SERVICES.
19 February, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY. On the
agenda: United States - Section 211 Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998:
implementation of the recommendations of the DSB; Canada - Export
credits and loan guarantees for regional aircraft: Report of the Panel
(WT/DS222/R and Corr.1).
19-20 February, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTS.
20-21 February, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO TEXTILES MONITORING BODY.
21 February, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT
PROCUREMENT.
26 February, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON CUSTOMS VALUATION.
Other Forthcoming Events
6-9 March, Sousse, Tunisia: 7th BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ECONOLOGICAL ECONOMICS. For further
information visit: http://www.ecoleconeurope.org/ISEEtunisia2002.html.
13-15 March, Vancouver, BC, Canada: GLOBE 2002-7th INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE & TRADE FAIR ON BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Leaders from
corporate, industrial and government circles will converge to discuss
strategy and source technology. For further information contact: tel:
(1-800) 274-6097; fax: (1-604) 666-8123; email: i...@globe.apfnet.org;
Internet: http://www.globe2002.com.
15 March, Geneva, Switzerland: UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME WORKSHOP ON THE
IMPACTS OF TRADE-RELATED POLICIES ON FISHERIES AND MEASURES REQUIRED
FOR THEIR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT. Please note that this event has been
rescheduled from 20 March due to a timing conflict with an OECD
workshop on the same subject. Organised in consultation with the WTO
secretariat, FAO, and the OECD, the workshop aims to provide a forum
for informal discussions and consultations between trade and
environment officials and international institutions involved in this
subject. Objectives of the workshop are: a) To create better
understanding of the economic, environmental and related social effects
of trade-related policies, including fisheries subsidies; b) To explore
approaches and policy reform packages that contribute to the
sustainable management of fisheries; and c) To consider action needed
to promote the sustainable management of fisheries and the role of
governments and international organisations in this regard. For further
information visit:
http://www.unep.ch/etu/etp/events/upcming/15March_fisheries.htm.
19-20 March, Geneva, Switzerland: UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME WORKSHOP ON
CAPACITY BUILDING ON ENVIRONMENT, TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT. Due to a high
level of interest, this workshop has been extended from one to two
days. Additionally, given the high level of importance MEAs attribute
to capacity building, there will be a special session in the workshop
focusing on capacity building within the context of MEAs. The workshop
aims to provide a forum for identifying capacity building activities
needed to assist countries effectively engage in trade and environment
negotiations, assess the environmental as well as the developmental
implications of the WTO agreements, and develop and implement mutually
supportive trade and environment policies. For further information
contact: UNEP Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics, Geneva,
Switzerland; tel: (41-22) 917-8243; fax: (41-22) 917- 8076; email:
e...@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.unep.ch/etu.
15 May, London, UK: DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND THE WTO CONSTITUTION. This
conference is organised by the British Institute of International and
Comparative Law, with cooperation from the Georgetown University
Institute of International Economic Law and the London Forum for
International Economic and Development Law. The conference will focus
on WTO dispute settlement and its evolving jurisprudence. Conference
panels will be on topics relating to subjects such as deference and
sovereignty, reforms needed, relationship of the dispute settlement
process to the diplomatic and negotiating activities of the WTO, and
compliance problems. For further information contact: The British
Institute of International and Comparative Law, Charles Clore House, 17
Russell Square, London, UK, WC1B 5JP; tel: (44-0-207) 862-5151; fax:
862-5152; email: i...@biicl.org; Internet: http://www.biicl.org/.
16-17 May, London, UK: SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL AND
COMPARATIVE COMPETITION LAW. Entitled "Trends and Tensions:
International and Comparative Competition Law," the conference follows
the successful First Annual Conference held in May 2001. For further
information contact: The British Institute of International and
Comparative Law, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London, UK,
WC1B 5JP; tel: (44-0-207) 862-5151; fax: 862-5152; email:
i...@biicl.org; Internet: http://www.biicl.org/.
27 May - 7 June, Jakarta, Indonesia: CSD ACTING AS PREPCOM 4 FOR WORLD
SUMMIT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (WSSD). This meeting will include
Ministerial and Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Segments, and is expected to
give input to a concise political document to be submitted to the 2002
WSSD Summit. The document is expected to reinvigorate the global
commitment to a North-South partnership and a higher level of
international solidarity to accelerated implementation of Agenda 21 and
the promotion of sustainable development. For further information
visit: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/.
10-13 June, Rome, Italy: WORLD FOOD SUMMIT: FIVE YEARS LATER. The
meeting is meant to review progress toward ending hunger and to track
the progress achieved since the 1996 World Food Summit and consider
ways to accelerate the process. World leaders will be requested to
outline the measures needed to achieve the goal, and make suggestions
on how to accelerate progress. They are also expected to consider how
to increase resources available for agricultural and rural development.
For further information visit: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsummit/.
RESOURCES
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you
would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for
review by the BRIDGES staff to Hugo Cameron, hcame...@ictsd.ch.
Submissions of publications to ICTSD's documentation centre would also
be welcome (contact Matteo Rizzolli, mrizzo...@ictsd.ch).
FOCUS ON AFRICA. By Gero Erdmann, Gerhard Hauck, Wolfgang Schneider-
Barthold, and Henning Melber, in DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION, Jan/Feb
2002. The four authors explore reasons why most countries on the
African continent are caught in socio-economic systems that hinder
their development. For further information contact D+C, P.O. Box, D-
60268 Frankfurt (Frankenallee 71-81), Germany; tel: (+49-69) 7501-4366;
fax: 7501-4855; email: HDBra...@t-online.de.
THE WRONG MODEL: GATS, TRADE LIBERALISATION AND CHILDREN'S RIGHT TO
HEALTH. By John Hilary, published by Save the Children in 2001. The
full pdf version of this publication is now available for downloading
at http://www.scfuk.org.uk/development/global_pub/wrongmodel.pdf.
Electronic Resources
Searchable database of International Trade Web Resources. Made
available by The Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA).
More than 4000 links to International Trade / Import-Export Web sites
are annotated and indexed. Access the database at
http://fita.org/webindex/.
CALL FOR PAPERS
McKEEVER INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC POLICY ANALYSIS 'THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES'
(T.A.A.) PROJECT. This is the final call for papers for the
Alternatives to Globalization project. Essays (written in English) are
due by 3 March 2002 at noon Pacific Standard Time, and five prizes of
US$100 will be awarded. Winning essays will provide detailed, first-
hand discussion of one or more projects that create useful, productive
resources without reliance on international markets, financing or
advice. The purpose of the TAA Project is to identify useful means for
persons and groups to create a better life without access to global
markets or despite such access. For further information contact Michael
Pierce McKeever, McKeever Institute of Economic Policy Analysis; email:
mpmckee...@earthlink.net; Internet: http://www.mkeever.com.
SUSTAINABLE CHAIN MANAGEMENT: TRANSFORMING INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT CHAINS
INTO CHANNELS OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION. Greenleaf Publishing invites
contributions for: (1) a special issue of "Greener Management
International"; and (2) a subsequent new book on the topic
of "Sustainable Chain Management" both to be edited by Dr Teun Wolters
(ISCOM, Institute for Sustainable Commodities, The Netherlands). The
aim of both is to aid managers, researchers, consultants, students, NGO
representatives and government in understanding current thinking on
sustainable chain management in terms of transforming international
product chains into channels of sustainable production. The submission
deadline for initial expressions of interest in the form of abstracts
of approximately 300 words is 1 April 2002. Abstracts should be sent to
the Guest Editor, Teun Wolters, ISCOM, Institute for Sustainable
Commodities, The Netherlands, twolt...@iscom.nl. Contribution
guidelines can be obtained from Samantha Self, Greenleaf Publishing,
Aizlewood Business Centre, Aizlewood's Mill, Sheffield S3 8GG, UK; tel:
(+44 114) 282 3475, fax: 282 3476; email: journals@greenleaf-
publishing.com; Internet: http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com.
POSITION VACANCIES
ICTSD is seeking to strengthen its current team of 10 staff plus
interns in 2002. We are looking for exceptionally talented and
motivated people to join our team at all levels including senior
programme and project staff, and interns. We seek people who are
demonstrated doers with solid academic backgrounds and an intense
interest in understanding and facilitating the policymaking interface
between international trade and sustainable development. ICTSD
especially welcomes applications from those from non-OECD countries as
well as from women. Please send your CV; a cover letter stating your
interest and experience and a writing sample to ic...@ictsd.ch.
IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development) is seeking
to recruit a coordinator for the IISD/ICTSD Trade Knowledge Network.
The post will be based in the IISD European Office in Geneva.
Responsibilities are to manage and further develop the Trade Knowledge
Network - a group of eight developing country research institutions and
two developed country coordinators. Candidates must have strong
networking experience, sound management skills, and a deep knowledge of
the multilateral trading system. For a full job description, contact
Clarita Martinet: cmarti...@iisd.ca.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A searchable archive of BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest)
can be accessed at:
http://www.newsbulletin.org/bulletins/WhichBulletin.cfm?
Bulletin_ID=14&SID=
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest) is published by the
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
(ICTSD), http://www.ictsd.org. Electronic distribution is
carried out by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade
Policy (IATP).
Contributors to this issue are Alison Banks, Heike
Baumuller, David Primack, Alex Werth, and Melissa Wilcox.
This edition of BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest was edited
by Hugo Cameron, hcame...@ictsd.ch. Managing Editor is
Andrew Crosby. The Director is Ricardo Melindez-Ortiz,
rmelen...@ictsd.ch. ICTSD is an independent, not-for-profit
organisation based at: 13, ch. des Animones, 1219 Geneva,
Switzerland, tel: (41-22) 917-8492; fax: 917-8093. Excerpts
from BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest) may be used in other
publications with appropriate citation. Comments and
suggestions are welcomed and should be directed to the
Editor or the Director.
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest is made possible in 2001 -
2002 through the generous support of the Government of the
United Kingdom (DFID). Additional support is provided by
ICTSD's core donors: the Governments of Finland, Denmark,
the Netherlands and Sweden; Christian Aid (UK), MISEREOR,
NOVIB (NL), Oxfam (UK) and the Swiss Coalition of
Development Organisations (Switzerland). The Weekly also
benefits from support for the BRIDGES series of
publications including: the Rockefeller Foundation, the
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Swiss
Development Cooperation.
ISSN 1563-003X
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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