Lamy calls for new “Geneva consensus” on humanising globalizationback to top
Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech in Santiago, Chile on 30
January, said “we need to remember that trade is only a tool to
elevate the human condition: the ultimate impact of our rules on human
beings should always be at the centre of our consideration.” He urged
more assistance to help developing countries deal with the imbalances
created between winners and losers from trade opening.
He said that “while the opening up of markets stimulated by the WTO
has the potential to produce benefits for many, it also has its costs,
whose distribution is largely beyond the WTO's control”.
The Director-General said that “these adjustments must not be
relegated to the future: they must be an integral part of the
opening-up agenda.”
He called for the creation of a new “Geneva consensus”: a new basis
for the opening up of trade that takes into account the resultant cost
of adjustment. This would involve “assistance: to help the
least-developed countries to build up their stocks and therefore
adequate productive and logistical capacity; to increase their
capacity to negotiate and to implement the commitments undertaken in
the international trading system; and to deal with the imbalances
created between winners and losers from trade opening — imbalances
that are the more dangerous to the more fragile economies, societies
or countries.”
> Speech
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DISPUTE SETTLEMENT back to top DSB establishes panels for two cases
The Dispute Settlement Body, on 20 January, established a panel to
examine Brazil's measures against EC imports of retreaded tyres (DS332)
and a compliance panel at the request of Argentina to review the
implementation in the case of Chile's price band system and safeguard
measures relating to certain agricultural products (DS207).
> Summary of the
meeting
Appellate Body issues annual report
The Appellate Body, on 25 January, released its
Annual Report for 2005. Last year, it circulated 9 reports. A total
of 42 WTO Members appeared at least once as appellant, other appellant,
appellee, or third participant in appeals in which an Appellate Body
Report was circulated during 2005. Of these 42 WTO Members, 6 were
developed country Members and 36 were developing country Members. Ten
appeals were filed in 2005.
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TRADE POLICY REVIEWback to top
Malaysia:
Economy gains from openness to trade and investment and prudent management
The fourth trade policy review of Malaysia was held on 16 and 18
January. As a result of its openness to trade and investment together
with prudent macroeconomic and structural reforms in key areas,
Malaysia has made impressive strides in its recovery from the Asian
financial crisis eight years ago, with GDP growth reaching an
impressive 7.1% in 2004 and expected to consolidate at 5% in 2005,
according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and
practices of Malaysia. The Government's adoption of policies and
strategies to ensure sustainability of growth have strengthened the
Malaysian economy and its resilience to external shocks, although in
the medium term it remains vulnerable to the industrial countries'
business cycle.
> More
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DEVELOPMENT back to top
35th and
36th Trade Policy Courses start
Fifty-three government officials from developing countries and economies
in transition started on 16 January 2006 a three-month immersion in the
WTO at its Geneva headquarters. The participants in the 35th and 36th
Trade Policy Courses, which will run in parallel until 7 April this
year, were welcomed by Paul Rolian, Director of the Institute for
Training and Technical Cooperation, who chaired the traditional opening
ceremony.
> More
WTO eTraining Course for 180 government officials
A course entitled “5th Introduction to the WTO and its Basic Principles”
was organized for 180 government officials from developing countries
from 23 January 23 to 3 March 2006 (six weeks). The objective of the
course is to familiarize participants with the WTO, the multilateral
trading system and its legal framework.
> More
Director-General Pascal Lamy announced with sadness on 13 January the
passing of John Lockhart, one of the Members of the Appellate Body. Mr
Lockhart was appointed as a Member of the Appellate Body in December
2001. WTO Member Governments recently re-appointed him for a further
4-year term ending in December 2009. Mr Lockhart participated in 30
appeals and 4 arbitration proceedings.
> More