WTO DG Urges Action to Boost Flexibilities for LDCs in WTO Agreements
The 13th Ministerial Conference must deliver on proposals aimed at strengthening existing flexibilities in World Trade Organization agreements for developing nations, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urged last week. Ten agreement-specific proposals, which were tabled by the WTO G-90 group of developing WTO nations, are ripe for action at MC13, Feb. 26-29, according to WTO.
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During a Feb. 8 meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Trade and Development, members discussed these agreements and areas for more action. Djibouti's Kadra Ahmed Hassan, chair of the special session, appointed two members to discuss proposals concerning the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures and the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights' provision on least developed countries (LDCs).
Consultations are "ongoing" on the appointment of a facilitator for a third proposal, which covers the government assistance to economic development article of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the WTO said.