Archive - 2014

On the occasion of Global Trade Summit convened by PSI and it's affiliates in Washington, D.C., on 15-17 September 2014, PSI and Our World is not For Sale (OWINFS) launched a new Special Report by Ellen Gould entitled "The Really Good Friends of Transnational Corporations Agreement" on the first day of the Global Summit. The report was launched with the objective to overcome the secrecy and complexity surrounding the negotiations on trade in services agreement (TISA) and bring it into the public sphere for a democratic debate.

A new report TISA versus Public Services by Public Services International (PSI) warns that governments are planning to take the world on a liberalisation spree on a scale never seen before. According to the report, this massive trade deal will put public healthcare, broadcasting, water, transport and other services at risk. The proposed deal could make it impossible for future governments to restore public services to public control, even in cases where private service delivery has failed. It would also restrict a government’s ability to regulate key sectors including financial, energy, telecommunications and cross-border data flows.

In this timely article one of the most sensible commentator on trade policy issues of our time, throws more light on misplaced claims of deadline sanctity for Trade Facilitation Agreement in the backdrop of US-WTO propaganda about the missed deadline for the adoption of a Protocol of Amendment to incorporate the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) into Annex 1A of the Marrakesh agreement.

This short article argues that the support to WTO trade facilitation agreement is insufficient and misdirected

In a statement released ahead of the WTO General Council meeting tomorrow, farmers organization in India called upon the Indian Government to stand firm on linking the Food Security proposal with the Trade Facilitation Agreement in WTO. Farmers’ leaders expressed shock over the Chair's summary of the G 20 trade ministers meeting which was held on July 19 at Sydney.

In the backdrop of G20 trade ministers meeting on July 19 at Sydney, Deborah James writes on various critical issues that are important for developing countries and least developed countries as this meeting can be used to build consensus toward positions that can be brought back to forums where decisions can be enforced, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In the backdrop of trade ministers meet in Sydney, today, 164 civil society organizations and trade unions from more than 150 developing and developed countries urged government representatives in Geneva to “condition the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to the conclusion and fulfillment of the Development mandate under the Doha negotiations.”

The Public Services International, a global trade union federation reiterates its opposition to Trade In Services Agreement, in the backdrop of WikiLeaks release of TISA - Financial Services Annex text

The WikiLeaks just published the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) - Financial Service annex text. It confirms the concerns expressed by civil society organizations on TISA.