WTO: Members launch discussions under trade and environmental sustainability work plan for 2022

Members launch discussions under trade and environmental sustainability work plan for 2022 WTO members taking part in the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) met on 31 March to initiate discussions on a variety of topics as part of their agreed 2022 work plan. Lees verder DDG Ellard: WTO is essential to the rules-based international order In her address to the Steering Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on 31 March, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard provided an overview of the state of negotiations in the run-up to the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12). She also highlighted the importance of the rules based... Lees verder Members welcome COVID-19 trade-related measures report, agree on future experience sharing Members welcomed the latest update on export restrictions and prohibitions and trade-easing measures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was presented by the WTO Secretariat at a meeting of the Committee on Market Access on 30-31 March. The Committee also heard about the first... Lees verder WTO launches book on trade in knowledge in today's technological, commercial environment The WTO launched a new book entitled "Trade in Knowledge: Intellectual Property, Trade and Development in a Transformed Global Economy" on 31 March. At the launch event, a wide cross-section of contributors to the publication discussed how their research and analysis had a bearing on current issues... Lees verder Members reinvigorate Trade Facilitation Agreement monitoring following last year's review Building on the first review of the operation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) conducted in 2021, WTO members considered new updates on implementation and notification timelines at the 4-5 April meeting of the Committee on Trade Facilitation. Members also held a dedicated session on... Lees verder Working group hears updates on work related to small business At a meeting of the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), held on 7 April, WTO members heard updates on the Trade4MSME platform and on MSME-related discussions in other WTO bodies. They also reviewed the implementation of the December 2020 package of... Lees verder Webinar revisits trade preferences and factors impacting their use A webinar hosted by the WTO Secretariat on 7 April once again brought together government officials as well as public and private sector experts to explore factors influencing the utilization of trade preferences and the role of rules of origin and origin requirements in their use. Lees verder Members accept Korean-US request for extra time for talks on washers safeguard dispute WTO members agreed at a special meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body on 8 April to give Korea and the United States additional time to discuss a possible settlement in the dispute initiated by Korea regarding a US safeguard measure on large residential washers. Lees verder WHO, WIPO, WTO launch trilateral COVID-19 technical assistance platform The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the WTO launched on 11 April 2022 their new Trilateral COVID-19 Technical Assistance Platform. This new tool aims to help members and WTO accession candidates address their capacity building needs to... Lees verder Global Review of Aid for Trade to take place in late July The Eighth Global Review of Aid for Trade will take place from 27 to 29 July, with the theme of "Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade". The Review, which will take place both in-person at WTO headquarters as well as virtually, will bring to the fore areas where developing and least-developed... Lees verder