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News Archive


Forthcoming ITC Seminar on Managing Trade Information Services
Released: 5 Sep 2007
“Methods and Resources for the Management of Trade Information Services” is the theme of ITC’s annual seminar for managers of trade information and market intelligence units in developing and transition economies."
Malaysia - South Africa rebuild Trade Relations
Released: 4 Sep 2007
Malaysia, which has been one among the largest foreign investors in South Africa post 1994, had pulled back after the country faced the 1997 crisis. However, in a recent visit to Johannesburg, Malaysia’s Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah's has provided a positive and fresh initiative for rebuilding the trade base between the two countries.
Public Launch of EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace
Released: 4 Sep 2007
A public launch of the EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace will take place in Brussels on 11 September 2007. The event will be hosted by the European Commission's Europe-Aid Cooperation Office, and will be held at Europe-Aid Info-Point. The European Commission and the United Nations will present the objectives and actions foreseen in the three-year initiative (2007–2009).
Recent Report reveals LAC youth vulnerable to unemployment and informality
Released: 4 Sep 2007
ILO recently quoted a report that show 30 Mn young people in Latin America and the Caribbean exposed to work under bad conditions, low wage remunerations, no non-wage benefits in the informal economy. It also revealed the aspect of unemployment, informality and inactivity persisting among the 106 Mn youth in the LAC labour markets that is hindering economic growth and fight against poverty in the region. The article below is reproduced from the press release issued by the ILO. (A press release by ILO)
Call for Papers: Asian Women: Gender Issues in International Migration
Released: 6 Sep 2007
Call for Papers
Asian Women: Gender Issues in International Migration 2007 Winter Issue, 2008 Spring Issue
WTO negotiations resume after summer break
Released: 6 Sep 2007
The WTO negotiations in Geneva have resumed, immediately after the one-month August break on 3 Sepetember. It has resumed discussions over the draft Agriculture text and expects to initiate the NAMA discussions from the 17th of this month.
High retrenchment rate for women in IT: UK
Released: 6 Sep 2007
The annual Women in IT survey published by the trade group Intellect reports that more than half the women working in IT are not being paid fairly, compared with their male counterparts.
WTO-ADB to host meeting for 'Aid for Trade' Initiative in Manila
Released: 7 Sep 2007
Top global and regional trade officials along with key private sector representatives will gather in Manila on 19-20 September to discuss how to empower less developed economies and small states to benefit from global trade.
UNCTAD’S Trade and Development Report 2007 Released
Released: 7 Sep 2007
The UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2007 released recently, point out towards greater regional cooperation among the developing economies for better global integration. It says active regional cooperation can strengthen development strategies and facilitate trade opportunities among the partners.
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy’s opening speech at the Conference on ‘Multilateralising Regionalism’
Released: 10 Sep 2007
Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his opening speech at the Conference on ‘Multilateralising Regionalism’ on 10 September 2007 in Geneva, said that the regional proliferations are a breeding concern for today’s global economy. The significant point is not whether regionalism is a good or a bad thing, but it is important to look at the manner in which the RTAs operate, its effects on trade opening and on the creation of new economic opportunities. He also expressed concerns over the fact that while regional trading is not bad, yet excessive regionalism might be harmful for multilaterally-based trading relationships.
Lamy highlights the ‘Strategic Importance of Global Trade’ as basis for ‘Global Stability and Security’
Released: 8 Sep 2007
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech to the Global Strategic Review Conference, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Geneva, held on 8 September 2007, said that increasing trading opportunities for nation acts as a basis for stability of the nation, while terrorism act as the source of instability. Stressing on the importance of increased trade flows amongst the nations, Lamy argued that such would help to reduce scarcity of resources as well as increase interdependence among nations. It would help the countries to integrate in the global economy and know each other better. He added that the successful conclusion of the Doha Round has “a strategic importance for security” as it would “give a clear signal that globalization can be harnessed through the collective efforts of the international community”. A successful conclusion of this round is also extremely important for the developing nations who have invested a lot in the ‘Doha Development Rounds’.
Pacific Small islands' demands sunk: Cautious over EPAs with EU
Released: 7 Sep 2007
After the bigger African countries and trading blocs, it is now the Pacific small islands’ that have expressed worries over signing a free trade deal with the EU by the end of this year. Governments from the island states have accused the European Union of failing to take into account their development needs when drawing up a free trade agreement that it expects them to sign by the end of this year.
ADB assists in the Economic Integration of the East ASEAN Growth Area
Released: 11 Sep 2007
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has embarked upon a project of promoting trade procedures in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) as part of its strategy aimed at the integration of the subregion’s economies.
Delegations concerned over success of September round of talks at WTO
Released: 11 Sep 2007
The mood at WTO at the onset of at least a month-long talk on the agricultural modalities is serious, somber, tough and business-like. Underlying such a mood of apparently calm surface, there’s a layer of anxiety among the members over the chances of the success of this round of negotiations. There are speculations going on about the consequences in the event of the collapse of this round.
US-ITC Report says East Africa can flourish with Flowers, Fish and Tourism
Released: 11 Sep 2007
In a recent study conducted by the United States International Trade Commission cut flowers, fish (prepared and preserved), flat-rolled steel, garments and apparels, financial services and tourism have been identified as the potential sectors wherein lies the biggest comparative advantages for the East African economies in global trade.
Civil societies not to be a part of first Regional Conference on Aid for Trade
Released: 13 Sep 2007
A press release announcing the dates for the first regional conference on aid for trade does not mention the participation of the civil societies, yet although mentioning that of the private sector.
EU Threatens Africa On Bilateral Trade
Released: 13 Sep 2007
THE European Union (EU) this week issued a stern warning to African countries negotiating economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with the union, saying that if negotiations were not completed by the end of the year, bilateral trade conditions between those countries and the EU would revert to the General System of Preferences (GSP), a more onerous trading regime.
CIBS to act as engines of global economic growth?
Released: 13 Sep 2007
China, India, Brazil and South Africa or CIBS, as is now commonly called -- are the four developing countries poised to become new southern engines of global economic growth with increasing potential to provide prosperity to other developing countries, said prominent economics researchers at a WIDER conference focusing on Economic growth in CIBS and its implications for the global economy on 8-9 September 2007, held at Helsinki.
Ethiopia’s Flower Sector Outgrows Kenya
Released: 11 Sep 2007
Immediately after the US-ITC report was out proclaiming Kenya to be the largest exporter of cut flowers and Uganda following as a far second, a recent report claims Ethiopia to be Africa's second largest flower exporter after Kenya, with its export earnings growing by 500 per cent over the past year.
ADB Seeks Funding to Strengthen Poverty Alleviation Efforts
Released: 14 Sep 2007
Asian Development Bank representatives called for intensified efforts to fight poverty during discussions on the Asian Development Fund (ADF), an endowment used to provide grants and low-interest loans to some of Asia and the Pacific’s poorest nations.
Study blames EU for not Aiding Women Enough
Released: 13 Sep 2007
Inequalities between men and women are not adequately addressed in aid programmes for countries of the former Soviet Union, a new study has concluded.
Japan, ADB to assist in achieving self-sustaining growth in Micronesia
Released: 18 Sep 2007
The Government of Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will assist the Federated States of Micronesia in improving budget and planning processes as part of the overall objective of achieving self-sustaining economic growth.
Gambia Social forum calls for alternative trade agreement
Released: 17 Sep 2007
Sira Ndow, Chairperson of The Gambia Social Forum has called on African Trade Ministers to pursue an alternative trade agreement with the European Union countries that are not harmful to African economy.
ADB study says Supply-Side Factors Are Helping Drive Asian Exports
Released: 17 Sep 2007
Developing Asia’s export performance is critically influenced by the availability and quality of the services and infrastructure that form the backbone of efficient production chains and by factors that attract and provide comfort to foreign direct investors, a new major study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says.
ADB Upgrades Developing Asia's 2007 Growth Forecast to 8.3%
Released: 17 Sep 2007
Developing Asian economies will register solid economic growth in 2007, driven by fast growth in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says in a new major report.
New
Released: 17 Sep 2007
In its recent development a new group of 8 members have been established to discuss the issues pertaining to the successful conclusion of WTO’s Doha Development round.
'EU Stands Between Poor and Poor'
Released: 14 Sep 2007
Caribbean governments have alleged that the European Union is trying to prevent them from signing trade deals with other poor countries on their own terms.
Lamy’s opening speech at Peru
Released: 13 Sep 2007
Director-General Pascal Lamy, in opening the conference “Mobilizing Aid for Trade: Focus Latin America and the Caribbean” on 13 September in Lima, Peru, said the ‘Aid-for-Trade’ initiative is “critical” for the region and the world trading system because “today's global economy — which could be widened and strengthened by the conclusion of the Doha Round — is fundamentally changing the development dynamic”.
Top Leaders Pledge to Help Poor Economies to Reap Benefits from Global Trade
Released: 19 Sep 2007
Top global and regional financial officials at a conference today pledged to help small and weak states in Asia and the Pacific build and strengthen capacity to benefit from trade and spur economic growth to alleviate poverty.
Kenyan Flower Industry may face Problems if EPA Deadline is missed
Released: 19 Sep 2007
Concerns over not being able to conclude a deal with the EU by the end of this year has been raised by the government officials, exporters and NGOs in Kenya. Failure to conclude an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) by the end-of-year deadline will have serious implications for Kenyan exporters, including those in the booming horticultural industry. All related parties are worried about the pace at which the EPA talks are advancing.