Issue No. 592/593, 1-31 May 2015
Developing countries oppose Doha Round “recalibration”

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Dumping the sequencing or agri-reform process in the Doha Round?
Is the WTO Director-General seeking to shift the focus of the Doha Round talks away from agriculture, specifically the trade-distorting farm subsidies doled out by the US?
by Chakravarthi Raghavan

South against Doha Round “recalibration”, jettisoning “development”
Developing countries have come out against developed-country-led moves to “recalibrate” the level of ambition in the Doha Round negotiations at the WTO, stressing the need for the talks to stay in line with existing mandates.
by Kanaga Raja

DG must come clean on previous mandates on Doha Round
Writing prior to the 27 April TNC meeting, Chakravarthi Raghavan had highlighted developing-country concerns that the earlier agreed mandates on the Doha Round would be discarded in favour of an agenda which caters primarily to the developed countries’ interests.

Members still far from convergence on key agri issues, says chair
Progress in the agriculture negotiations under the Doha Round has been hamstrung by deep-seated differences over certain key areas, according to a “sombre” report provided by the chair of the talks.
by Kanaga Raja

Developed nations stonewall on food security
Entrenched developed-country positions are stymieing efforts at the WTO to enable developing countries to maintain public stockholding schemes geared towards attaining food security.
by D. Ravi Kanth

North-South divide in services talks
Differences of view among the membership are also a feature of the WTO services negotiations, with developed and developing countries staking out varying positions.
by D. Ravi Kanth

UN rights expert denounces secret talks on trade treaties
A UN rights expert has decried the lack of transparency surrounding negotiations on free trade agreements and the negative impacts such treaties may have on the realization of human rights.
by Kanaga Raja

FfD and post-2015 development agenda are distinct and complementary, says South
The exact nature of the linkage between the respective outcomes of the financing for development (FfD) and post-2015 development agenda negotiations in the UN has been a major subject of contention between developed and developing countries.
by Ranja Sengupta

Discussion begins on technology facilitation mechanism in post-2015 agenda
A longstanding North-South divide over the question of channelling technology towards development needs was reflected in the April talks on means of implementation for the post-2015 development agenda.
by Ranja Sengupta

The struggle to shape the agenda
Barbara Adams and Gretchen Luchsinger examine the differing interests at play in the FfD and post-2015 agenda processes, and consider how their interactions might affect the transformative potential of the negotiated outcomes.

Urban slums a death trap for poor children
For children living in cities, the difference between life and death reflects the divide between rich and poor, says an international child rights group.
by Valentina Ieri