Brazil wants to restart collapsed global trade negotiations and believes an agreement can be reached within two months, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday (02/08), to Reuters. Marathon talks on a new global trade pact collapsed in Geneva on Tuesday as the United States and India refused to compromise over a proposal to help poor farmers deal with floods of imports. "I think if we can resolve the problem between India and the United States, I think we'll have an accord. It can take a month, two months, but we need to sign an accord," Lula told reporters in Sao Paulo after a ceremony with metalworkers outside the city.
WTO Doha Collapse Requires a New Direction in Multilateralism - Minneapolis Global institutions enforcing trade and finance rules have overridden fundamental human rights, stalled international development and harmed the environment, finds three new papers released today by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. A new system is badly needed. People around the world recognize that the current form of economic globalization is not working, said Alexandra Spieldoch, Director of IATPs Trade and Global Governance Program. From volatile financial markets to skyrocketing oil prices, food riots and the growing gap between rich and poor the current system is not sustainable. The food and climate crises compel us to re-build a new global system based on the needs of people, communities and the environment.
The new geopolitics of trade and the collapse of the mini-ministerial at the WTO: was it “only” about the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM)? Mariarosaria Iorio (IGTN Geneva Office) said that the collapse of the negotiations of the WTO mini-ministerial (21-31 July 2008) reflects the new geopolitics of the world economy. The emerging economies with a large portion of their population, mostly women, employed in agriculture have been at the heart of the negotiating processes. These new actors put at the forefront another way of approaching trade issues and negotiations. Peoples’ livelihood was at the center of decision-making in international trade negotiations and discourse.
In response to rocket fire against its territory, Israel launched a large military offensive against the Palestinian group Hamas on December 27, 2008. The attacks are in the Gaza Strip, in the Middle East. By January 7, the conflict had resulted in over 700 Palestinians and 11 Israelis dead. INESC issues a public statement in defense of an immediate cease-fire involving both sides and for a lasting peace in the region.
