WTO: Cancun, Mexico 10th-14th September 2003

The World Trade Organisation's Ministerial Conference will be taking place in Cancun, Mexico from September 10th-14th.

Negotiations at this conference will decide the future of international trade rules, whether (and how) cheap copies of patented medicines will be made available to poor countries and the prospects for reform of US + EU farm subsidies, tariffs + export credits (which cost over $300 billion per annum, distort markets, encourage the over-intensification of agriculture + the over-exploitation of natural resources).

Progress on access to markets + cutting subsidies has been limited since the last conference took place in Doha, and much of last year's World Summit on Sustainable Development was overshadowed by the issues to be discussed + agreed in Cancun, so it is hard to exaggerate the significance of this meeting!

I therefore hope that you will find the following news + links of interest + use...

General: Cancun

* The World Trade Organisation
* WTO: Cancun, The 5th WTO Ministerial Conference
* WTO: Draft Cancún Declaration
* WTO: Doha, 2001: Declaration, negotiation + implementation.
* Oxfam: Doha 2001 briefing note
* EU/US "peace clause" (expires 2004)
* BBC News Online Cancun briefing, news + links

General: NGOs

* Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign
* Trade Justice Movement (NGO coalition)
* Choike "Southern" Civil Society Coalition
* Business + Human Rights Centre (Amnesty)
* Friends of the Earth: Fair Trade + WTO + Cancun
* OneWorld.Net
* Corp Watch
* Greenpeace's WTO page
* Bretton Woods Project (advocates of World Bank + IMF reform)
* Radio Cancun
* RealWorldRadio.FM

General: United Nations

* The World Bank
* The International Monetary Fund
* The UN Development Programme
* UNDP Human Development Reports
* UN Global Compact
* UN Millennium Development Goals
see: Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights

Business:

* World Business Council
* World Economic Forum
* OECD

Essential Medicines

* Medicins sans Frontieres' Access to Essential Medicines Campaign
* WTO's TRIPs (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) page.
* Oxfam: Flawed drug deal will do little to secure access to medicines

Agricultural Subsidies + Food :

* Wyn Grant's Common Agricultural Policy Page
* Cairns Group of agricultural exporting countries
* Action Aid's Food Rights Campaign
* Oxfam Trade Report:
Rigged Rules + Double Standards
* Oxfam Coffee Report:
Mugged: Poverty in your coffee cup
* Oxfam Cotton Briefing:
The impact of US cotton subsidies on Africa
* Oxfam Sugar Briefing:
The Great EU Sugar Scam
* Banana Link

Weblogs:

* The Guardian's Kick All Agricultural Subsidies (UK)
* Guardian Unlimited: Weblog Special: The WTO (UK)
* Anarchogeek (US)
* Back 40 (US)

Further Reading:

* Norman Myers + Jenny Kent's "Perverse Subsidies: How Misused Tax Dollars Harm the Environment and the Economy"
* UK Government White Paper: Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor

NEWS:

* The Guardian: 15th Sept:
Blow to world economy as trade talks collapse

* Finance 24 (SA): 15th Sept:
New force rises from WTO ashes

* BBC News Online: 15th Sept:
World trade talks collapse

* BBC News Online: 15th Sept:
Q+A: Why did the trade talks collapse?

* BBC News Online: 14th Sept:
Viewpoint: Blame game over WTO failure

* Anarchogeek: 14th Sept:
Transcript of the G20 press conference on the failure of the WTO in Cancun

* BBC News Online: 13th Sept:
Trade summit faces crucial day

* The Guardian: 13 th Sept:
Crisis talks as poor nations stand firm

* National Post (Canada): 13th Sept:
Agriculture deadlock eases at WTO talks

* Kerela Next: 13th Sept:
Deadlock in WTO as rich and poor nations clash

* The Globe and Mail: 12th Sept:
'G21' emerges as formidable US/EU foe on farm subsidies

* WTO: daily summary: 12th Sept:
‘Facilitators’ start work on new draft declaration

* Busines Report: 12th Sept:
EU submits 'protectionist' plan to WTO

* The Guardian: 11th Sept:
(South Korean) Farmer commits suicide at protests

* The Age: Sept 11th
Developing nations (G21) threaten world trade plans

* CNS News: 10th Sept:
Activists See Powerful Message in WTO Protestor''s Suicide

* Xinhua Net: 10th Sept:
Spain: WTO meeting in Cancun not meant for "final agreement"
("Amber", "Blue" + "Green" subsidies explained)

* New Zealand Herald: 9th Sept:
Battle lines drawn before first salvoes fired

* Reuters Alertnet: 9th Sept:
WTO head says Cancun talks key to world economy

* BBC News Online: 9th Sept:
Viewpoint: Paying the price in Cancun

* Taipei Times: 9th Sept:
China opens centre to train WTO negotiators

* Outlook India: 9th Sept:
WTO: India to head fight against US, EU stance

* Pravda: 9th Sept:
Joining WTO Russia's top priority of today

* Friends of the Earth: 9th Sept:
UK plc in Latin America - Blair's last chance to deliver on WTO

* AllAfrica.Com: 8th Sept:
Africans Head for WTO With Low Expectations

* Asia Times: 8th Sept:
India criticizes WTO's development agenda

* BBC News Online: 7th Sept:
Is the WTO drugs deal flawed?

* Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Sept 7th:
Protesters disagree on shutting down WTO

* BBC News Online: 7th Sept:
'Plans afoot' for Cancun follow-up

* Newsday: 7th Sept:
At WTO Meeting, Trillions at Stake

* The Indian Express: 7th Sept:
WTO made easy, Cancun edition

* The Straits Times: 6th Sept:
US 'will act alone' if WTO talks fail

* World Watch Institute: 5th Sept:
Live discussion: What is sustainability anyway?

* World Bank: 4th Sept:
Cancun Trade Talks an Opportunity to Lift Millions Out of Poverty .

.... detailed report: Global Economic Prospects 2004 -
Realizing the Development Promise of the Doha Agenda

* Choike: 3rd Sept:
Integrating Intellectual Property Rights + Development Policy

* Reuters Alertnet: 3rd Sept:
WTO critics predict Cancun meeting will flop

* The Committee for Economic Development: 3rd Sept:
Promoting U.S. Economic Growth + Security Through Expanding World Trade

* The Guardian: 2 Sept:
The worst of times

* Reuters Alertnet: 2nd Sept:
WTO talks must tackle farm subsidies, Oxfam

* Guardian: 2nd Sept:
Logic that leads to a plundered world

* BBC World Service: 2nd Sept:
Analysis: Patents

* BBC: 2nd Sept:
WTO protesters: Where are they now?

* ICFTU: 1st Sept:
WTO ignoring workers’ rights in a race to the bottom

* AllAfrica.Com: 1st Sept:
Matters Come to a Head On Agricultural Subsidies

* BBC Newsnight: 1st Sept:
Interview with Dr Superchai Panitchpakdi (Director General of the WTO)

* Jubilee Research: 1st Sept:
Imminent first world debt crisis worst than "third world"

* Counterpunch: 1st Sept:
Pirates of the Caribbean The WTO in Cancun

* Reuters Alertnet: 1st Sept:
Wealth of nations hangs on WTO Cancun talks

* The New Nation: 30th Aug:
Cancun WTO meet Rigged rules and double standards

* WTO: chairperson's statement: 30th Aug:
The General Council Chairperson’s statement

* WTO: press release: 30th Aug:
Decision removes final patent obstacle to cheap drug imports

* Reuters: 30th Aug:
WTO gives final approval to cheap drugs deal

* BBC: 29th Aug:
World cheap drugs deal delayed

* OneWorld.Net: 28th Aug:
Business Runs the WTO, But You Pay the Price, Report Finds

* ENN: 27th Aug:
Rich nations take billions from world's farmers, says study

* World Bank: 26th Aug:
What is at stake in Cancún?

* WTO: 14th Aug:
World Trade Report 2003

* Global Reporting Initiative: Aug 2003:
GRI welcomes UN norms on business + human rights

* UN: 13th Aug:
NGOs welcome new U.N. norms on transnational business

* Friends of the Earth International: Aug 2003:
Business Rules: Who pays the price?

* Speech by Mary Robinson: 22nd July:
Making Globalization Work for all the World's People

* International Chamber of Commerce: Nov 2002:
Regional trade agreements and the multilateral trading system

* Oxfam: Oct 27th 2001:
Oxfam position on draft Doha Ministerial Declaration

Please get in touch if you wish to suggest any further links.