US’ Section 301 Actions are Illegitimate and Misguided
On 23rd August, the US Administration imposed yet another set of discriminatory tariffs on China under its Section 301 Trade Act covering US$16 billion of its imports from China. This is in addition to the additional tariffs imposed on 6 July 2018 on US$34 billion of its imports from China. According to the US, these actions are supposedly because of China’s unreasonable or discriminatory practices relating to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation.
The Imperative of Protecting and Respecting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights to Their Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Genetic Resources in the Intellectual Property Rights Regime under the WTO and WIPO
By Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Member of the South Centre’s Board, made a presentation, reproduced below, about ‘The Imperative of Protecting and Respecting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights to Their Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Genetic Resources in the Intellectual Property Rights Regime under the WTO and WIPO’ at the International Conference on the TRIPS-CBD Linkage: Issues and Way Forward, held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva on 7-8 June 2018. The conference was jointly organized by the South Centre, the Centre for WTO Studies, New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa to the WTO. (more…)
Title: International Conference on TRIPS-CBD Linkage: Issues and Way Forward
Date: 7-8 June 2018
Venue: Room IX, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Organizers: The South Centre, Centre for WTO Studies and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, co-sponsored by thePermanent Missions of Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa to the WTO
WTO MC11: Issues at Stake for Developing Countries
This is an informal briefing note on all the pertinent issues to developing countries for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference which will be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017.
Eleventh World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (Buenos Aires, December 2017) in the context of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Continental Free Trade Area
This present policy brief has been made available by the African Trade Policy Centre of the Economic Commission for Africa to provide background information on the key issues expected to be discussed at the eleventh World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. It is based on a series of discussion papers developed by the African Trade Policy Centre in collaboration with the South Centre. Full papers are available upon request.
The 11th Ministerial meeting of the WTO is fast approaching. In Buenos Aires, Ministers will take decisions on a variety of issues including agriculture, fish subsidies, domestic regulation and trade facilitation in services, special and differential treatment, TRIPS, and e-commerce.
Attempts are made to revitalise the fisheries subsidies negotiations at the WTO with the aim of achieving an outcome at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2017.
Since 2015, the theme of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) has emerged after the Philippines submitted a proposal on this issue in the WTO, calling for discussions to take place in a more sustained way.