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Lamy calls for new “Geneva consensus” on humanising globalization
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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).
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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 REVIEW
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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.
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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.
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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.
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IN MEMORIAM back to top

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.
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