News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Monday, March 27, 2023
Discussions about whether a special waiver on WTO intellectual property rules should apply to Covid-19 therapeutic and diagnostic products as well as vaccines look set to drag on, following an inconclusive debate on the subject at this week’s meeting of the WTO’s controlling general council.
There’s a lot of gridlock at the WTO – as revealed by this week’s General Council meeting. But at least members continue to ‘talk’.
It’s not been an uninteresting week at WTO headquarters in Geneva.
G20 leaders, who gathered in Indonesia this week, had some warm words for the World Trade Organization and global trade cooperation. But the reality on the ground looks different. The latest on WTO issues by Chris Horseman and Rob Francis.
The World Trade Organization is making a concerted effort to place itself at the heart of the dialogue over climate change policy, insisting that global trade liberalisation is a force for improved climate outcomes – and not an obstacle to it.
Below, a selection of updates on what’s happening in and around Geneva as WTO activity hums along.
In the absence of consensus on the key issues facing them, World Trade Organization members this week resorted to doing what they do best – agreeing on work programmes for further discussion.
Welcome back to our WTO Corner column! WTO members have begun follow-up work on some of the commitments set out in the so-called ‘Geneva package’ agreed at MC12 back in June. By Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
Hopes of capitalising on the momentum delivered by the successful WTO ministerial meeting in June to make swift progress on the various follow-up topics arising from MC12 appear to be receding.
After the climax of an overall successful 12th ministerial conference mid-June at the World Trade Organization’s headquarters in Geneva came a few weeks of quiet as a summer break looms for trade diplomats. South Africa, India press for swift work on TRIPS waiver extension Some WTO members however are keen …
