4th Ministerial, Doha 2001

Protesters March in Hong Kong Against WTO Summit

10 December, 2005
By VOA News
Thousands of anti-globalization activists marched in the streets of Hong Kong Sunday as the city prepares to host the World Trade Organization's (WTO) annual summit.

WTO General Council approves 'permanent solution' to TRIPS and Health

8 December, 2005
By Kanaga Raja (SUNS), TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The WTO General Council late Tuesday 6 December approved an amendment to the TRIPS Agreement making permanent a decision originally adopted in 2003 to resolve the problem of supply of generic versions of pharmaceutical products to countries with inadequate manufacturing capacity, due to limitations in the TRIPS Agreement when using compulsory license.

Indian government's mandate to negotiate at the WTO in question

8 December, 2005
Focus
Over 100 groups across India, including social movements and trade unions, have challenged the minority government

WTO issues new ministerial text for Hong Kong, but without cover note

8 December, 2005
By Martin Khor (TWN), TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The latest draft is more interesting for what it omits than what it has added. The cover note that was attached to the 1 December draft has been removed.

US warning on Hong Kong trade meeting

8 December, 2005
By Edward Alden, publisher not indicated
With the Doha global trade talks stalled by US and European discord over agriculture, US lawmakers are warning that domestic political support for the round could be jeopardised if the Hong Kong ministerial meeting next week focuses exclusively on the narrow demands from a few developing countries

Rushing through a 'permanent solution' for TRIPS and Health

8 December, 2005
By Sangeeta Shashikant, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
Intense and rushed formal and informal consultations have been taking place since last Friday 2 December to find agreement among WTO Members on the content of an amendment to the TRIPS Agreement, which is to constitute a 'permanent solution' for facilitating the supply of medicines to countries with insufficient or no drug manufacturing capacity.

Free trade fails forests

8 December, 2005
Greenpeace
The study Trading away our last ancient forests (1)concludes that liberalisation in the forestry sector must be halted immediately in order to avoid destroying the last remaining ancient forests and the indigenous communities dependent on them.

If WTO negotiations require hard choices,churches say: choose justice

8 December, 2005
Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance
If you only had one choice, what would you choose: Water? Food? Life-saving medicine?

Lamy: dishonest broker in trade talks, disappearance of cover note

7 December, 2005
Aileen Kwa Focus on the Global South
Lamy has proven himself to be a dishonest broker for developing countries. Members have been given an assurance on the 2nd December General Council meeting that the cover note that was attached to the 1 December draft would be retained on the draft text transmitted to Hong Kong.

Reassessing risks and dangers, on the eve of Hong Kong

7 December, 2005
By Martin Khor (TWN), TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Dec 05)
As delegates from Geneva prepared to leave for Hong Kong (some of them via their own capitals), many were uncertain how the WTO's Ministerial meeting would be run, and how much negotiations are to be expected on the key issues, as against stock-taking and planning the post-Hong Kong schedule.

Lamy plans to hoodwink Africans with empty 'development' and aid promises

6 December, 2005
Aileen Kwa
The Hong Kong Ministerial will be choreographed in order to heighten the likelihood that the

Put development in the 'Development Round'

6 December, 2005
Press Release
Kenyan civil society is calling upon the Government to ensure that the upcoming World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial in Hong Kong puts development issues at the forefront.

WTO General Council agrees to put services text in square brackets

5 December, 2005
By Martin Khor (TWN), TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Dec05)
The WTO's General Council agreed to show that there is no agreement on the controversial Annex on services in the draft Ministerial text to be sent to the WTO's Hong Kong Ministerial conference to beheld on 13-18 December.

ARENA special bulletin on WTO

5 December, 2005
ARENA
special bulletin on the WTO replaces the usual Summer newsletter of ARENA for this Summer 2005

Stitched Up: Social fabric torn apart by end of quotas, Blind Faith that it won?t happen again

5 December, 2005
ICFTU and Solidar
Two new reports jointly released today by the ICFTU and Solidar raise alarm bells over the planned further liberalisation of TCF and general manufacturing sectors by the WTO.