BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest

Lead Stories
G-4 TALKS IN POTSDAM BREAK DOWN, DOHA ROUND'S FATE IN THE BALANCE ONCE AGAIN	Prospects for concluding a Doha Round trade deal in the foreseeable future took yet another blow last week when talks among the EU, the US, Brazil, and India broke down amidst persistent divisions on cutting industrial tariffs and farm subsidies. Ministers and top negotiators from the so-called 'G-4' -- the four WTO Members that have been at the heart of the negotiations - had arrived in Potsdam, Germany on 19 June for at least five days of discussions aimed at bridging enough gaps to boost chances for a broader multilateral agreement. However, the meeting ended on 21 June when differences proved irreconcilable.
WIPO BROADCAST TREATY TALKS COLLAPSE	Ten years of discussions on an international treaty to update broadcasters' rights in the internet age came to a standstill last week, after members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) failed to agree on what the agreement should protect. A 'diplomatic conference' to finalise a treaty, scheduled for this November, has been called off with no indication that it will be revived any time soon.
OECD: DANGERS OF GLOBALISATION REAL BUT PERCEPTIONS EXAGGERATED	Trade and investment liberalisation, long viewed with ambivalence in much of the developing world, is facing growing scepticism in rich countries. The heightened concern has been prompted in part by fears of job losses, wage stagnation, and growing inequality. However, a recent analysis by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) suggests that, while the dangers of economic globalisation are real, they have been greatly exaggerated.
RATIFICATION OF TRIPS HEALTH AMENDMENT LANGUISHES, WITH FIVE MONTHS TO GO	One and a half years after governments agreed on how to amend WTO intellectual property rules to allow poor countries to import cheap generic versions of patent-protected medicines, only seven of the global trade body's 150 Members have ratified the controversial amendment. For the amendment to enter into force on schedule, two-thirds of WTO Members - some 100 countries - need to ratify the changes through their respective domestic political procedures by 1 December. Thus far, only 5 percent have done so: the US, Switzerland, El Salvador, Korea, Norway, India, and the Philippines.

In Brief	WTO in Brief
White House, Congress Finalise New Trade Provisions	Banana Fight Resurfaces, with New Panel to Examine EU's Compliance Trade and Development Committee Looks at Aid for Trade US Delays Creation of WTO Panel in Farm Subsidy Dispute with Canada

Events        &        Resources
Events	2-6 July, Paris, France. 12TH MEETING OF THE CBD SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE. Delegates to this meeting, organised by the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, will consider proposals for the integration of climate change activities within the Convention's programmes of work, as well as new and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. internet: http://www.cbd.int/meetings/default.shtml
Resources	NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY POLICY NOTES. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), June 2007. These six notes, which were commissioned by DESA, cover major areas relevant to national development strategies: macroeconomic and growth policy, trade policy, investment and technology policy, financing development, social policy, and state-owned enterprise reform. The notes, which were prepared by experts in these fields, provide suggestions on how state governments can work toward the development goals set forth in the United Nations Development Agenda. The policy notes may be downloaded at http://esa.un.org/techcoop/policyNotes.asp.
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest is made possible through the generous support of the Government of the United Kingdom (DFID) and ICTSD's core donors including the Governments of Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden; Christian Aid (UK) and NOVIB (NL). BRIDGES Weekly also benefits from support for the BRIDGES series of publications from donors including the Rockefeller Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.