South Bulletin (South Centre, Issue 68, 26 October 2012): WTO impasse and the possible roads ahead

This issue of South Bulletin focuses on trade – the WTO impasse and the possible roads ahead, the multilateral trading system and current topical WTO issues; and the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings held in Tokyo on 9-14 October 2012.

At a lively panel session on “Doha and the Multilateral Trade System: From Impasse to Development?” organised by South Centre with the Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) network, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Third World Network (TWN), and held as part of the WTO’s Public Forum in Geneva on 26 October 2012, ambassadors of developing countries and other experts presented their views on the impasse in the WTO’s Doha negotiations, the “new trade narrative” promoted by major developed countries and the need for an alternative narrative that reflects reality from the perspective of developing countries. Articles on this session include:

The WTO impasse and the possible roads ahead – a development perspective
The twists and turns of the WTO and Doha talks – Presentation of South Centre Executive Director Martin Khor
Current issues in the WTO negotiations: a development view – Presentation of Ambassador Jayant Dasgupta, Permanent Representative of India to the WTO

Other articles on trade include:

Towards an alternative narrative for the multilateral trading system – Presentation by Ambassador Faizel Ismail, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the WTO at UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Board panel discussion on 18 September 2012
Comments on some topical WTO issues, by international trade expert B.L. Das

The IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings showed heightened anxiety on the global economic situation. Developing countries voiced their concerns on the failure of developed countries to deal with their economic situation and on the policy and political paralysis preventing solutions and the lack of progress in reforming the international financial architecture. Articles in this regard include:

IMF-World Bank meetings show heightened anxiety on global situation
G24 developing country Ministers issue Communique on global financial issues
South Centre’s views on global financial issues to the G24 Ministerial

Another article in this issue of the South Bulletin is on a new study recently published in France that shows the crisis of ineffective and unsafe medicines.

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