World Trade Organization

Bridging the Divide: a human rights vision for global food trade

This paper explains the importance of using human rights to build a global trading system.

Radio Sustain: September 25, 2008

Special WTO Edition: Sophia Murphy on the history of the WTO, Anne Laure Constantin on the recent collapse of the Doha round talks and Alexandra Spieldoch on the relationship of the WTO and the future administration.

A bad deal all round

Last minute talks on global trade policy at the World Trade Organization in Geneva this week came close to agreement - but no cigars were lit. For talks that started in 2001, rich country negotiators lost sight of the fact that the round was supposed to be a "development" round to help lift standards of living among the world's poor.

Trade Talks Collapse, New Direction Needed

Today, trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization in Geneva broke down. It has now been seven years since the Doha Round of negotiations began at the WTO. People want global agreements to solve food insecurity, to get them out of poverty and to avoid the devastating effects of climate change. If trade can help these goals, it should be used.

Trade Talks Collapse, New Direction Needed

Today, trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization in Geneva broke down. It has now been seven years since the Doha Round of negotiations began at the WTO.

WTO Doha Negotiations Threaten to Encourage Inefficient Food Aid Delivery

Revised rules on food aid in the latest negotiating text at the World Trade Organization fail to reduce adequately the scope for the sale of food aid and encourage a highly wasteful, trade distorting system, according to a letter sent to trade ministers today from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Oxfam International.

Comparison NAMA Texts 19 May vs 10 July, 2008

Comparison of 19 May version of non-agricultural market access (NAMA) text and 10 July version of NAMA text.

July NAMA modalities

New draft for consideration by WTO members

The 2008 Farm Bill and the Doha Agenda

The U.S. Congress voted a new Farm Bill into law on May 22, 2008. The legislation was greeted with a resounding thumbs down in Geneva, where the WTO has its headquarters. The negotiators reaction echoed that of President Bush, who promptly vetoed the legislation, saying the Farm Bill would impede a conclusion to negotiations on the Doha Agenda at the WTO.