General Council elects Vice Chairs for Buenos Aires Ministerial Conference
WTO, 26 July 2017
At a General Council meeting on 26 July, WTO members elected three officials to serve as Vice Chairs for the WTO’s 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) in Buenos Aires. More…
Members issue joint call for safeguarding the WTO-based global trading system
WTO, 26 July 2017
A group of 47 developing and developed WTO members issued a joint call on 26 July for fellow members to work together to ensure the sound functioning of the WTO-based multilateral trading system as it faces a number of important challenges ahead. More…
General Council approves first ever amendment to Trade Policy Review Mechanism
WTO, 26 July 2017
The WTO General Council approved landmark reforms to the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) on 26 July to improve the process of reviewing members’ trade policies and practices and the monitoring of the global trading environment. This consensus decision to amend the TPRM for the first time since its establishment in 1989 demonstrates members’ continued success in enhancing the workings of the WTO. More…
Azevêdo reports on status of negotiations; stresses continued importance of transparency
WTO, 25 July 2017
In a gathering of all WTO members on 25 July, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo called for them to show realism and urgency in preparations for the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11), which will take place in Buenos Aires in December 2017. More…
South Africa, Madagascar Sign Tripartite FTA
ICTSD, 25 July 2017
Twenty out of a total of 26 have now signed the agreement establishing the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), with Madagascar inking the document on 13 July 2017 in Antanarivo, the country’s capital city. More…
Goods negotiations restart, members divided on transparency proposal
WTO, 21 July 2017
TWTO members on Friday (21 July) took up a proposal which proponents said would facilitate the participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in global trade by establishing rules to bring about greater transparency and access to information pertaining to government regulations on food and product safety. More…
WTO Members Prepare for Next Chapter in Fisheries Negotiations
ICTSD, 20 July 2017
Negotiators have been examining an influx of new and updated proposals to establish WTO disciplines on harmful fisheries subsidies over the past week, as they prepare to enter the next stage of talks for a potential deal at the organisation’s ministerial conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, later this year. More…