World Trade Organization

Reinventing UNCTAD's Role

THE UNITED Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which has just wound up its 11th conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil, has completed four decades of its existence. It has undergone a metamorphosis since the 1990s and old UNCTAD veterans may find it difficult to recognise what remains.

House Offers Large Corporate Tax Break

Inviting a showdown with the Senate, the House of Representatives on Thursday passed a richly sweetened corporate-tax overhaul that contains $140 billion in tax cuts and a nearly $10 billion buyout of tobacco farmers. The bill passed 251-178, drawing support from 48 Democrats, many from tobacco-growing states.

U.N. Forum Delegates Cite Technology Gap

The technology gap between poor and rich countries remains a major barrier to easing world poverty, officials said at a U.N. forum on trade and development. Poor countries said they can't afford better technology when they are already struggling to fix crumbling roads, feed the hungry and vaccinate children.

EU's Lamy Welcomes US "Step" Toward Repealing Illegal Trade Subsidy

European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said Friday that a US House vote repealing a corporate tax break deemed illegal by the World Trade Organization moved the United States a "step" closer to resolving its longstanding dispute with the EU.

Brazil's Lula Rallies Developing Nations

Brazil's president Monday called for a worldwide effort to assist developing nations' economies, saying they were incapable of the "spontaneous" growth experienced in wealthier nations.

Talks For South-South Trade Alliance Forge Ahead

Top trade officials from around the world nations gather in Sao Paulo for a week of discussions in which Brazil hopes to forge a south-south alliance to counterbalance wealthy northern countries in trade talks.

UN Chief To Attend UNCTAD Meeting In Brazil

UN Secretary General Koffi Annan will arrive in Brazil's Sao Paulo state Saturday to attend the opening of the 11th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Annan will meet heads of state and government and other officials attending the conference before he leaves next Tuesday, the UN Information Center said Thursday.

UN Conference On Trade And Development Set To Press For Liberalization

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Seeking to shift the international agenda from terrorism to poverty, delegations from 120 countries are converging on Brazil for talks aimed at giving developing countries a stronger role in the global economy.

Sugar Battle Sours U.S.-Mexico Relations, Despite NAFTA

Along the sooty gangways and rickety catwalks of the Emiliano Zapata sugar mill, sweat-soaked workers operate presses, vats and ovens in a process that has changed little since the mill's first harvest in 1938.

Global FDI Remains Flat In 2003, But To Rebound In 2004: UNCTAD

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows remained flat in 2003, at 653 billion US dollars, but are projected to rebound this year, said a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the eve of its 11th quadrennial session.