There is clearly a "widespread schizophrenia" among Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the issue of "ambition" in the context of the Doha Round of trade negotiations, outgoing Ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia of India told a meeting of the General Council Thursday.

During the last 6 years, social movements and organisations from Latin America and Europe, connected through the Europe-Latin America bi-regional network Enlazando Alternativas, have repeatedly exposed how voluntary codes of conduct, which form part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach, have failed to tackle human rights and environmental abuses of Transnational Corporations (TNCs).

Over 15 fair trade lobby organisations have warned the East African Community leaders against signing the Framework Economic Partnerships Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union.

The global economic crisis highlighted the necessity of transforming global economic governance. But least developed countries (LDCs) have little voice in this process. It is time they are allowed a seat at the meetings of the Group of 20 industrialised and emerging economies.

How's this for short-sighted: A billion people go hungry every day, food prices have climbed 30 to 40 percent, climate change is reducing agricultural production - and for the past two decades, the world has slashed investments in publicly-funded agriculture until it is a pittance in most countries.

The declaration contains specific gender aspects of the advocacy against trade liberalization as a development strategy.

The financial crisis should be recognized as a very clear example of how the free trade and free market theory has failed, why the WTO should turn around away from this neo-liberal model and allow for all services and trade to be at the service of people and the planet, not of corporate profits. By Myriam vander Stichele.

WTO ministers ended their two-and-a-half-day Geneva conference on 2 December 2009 having declared that they want to try to conclude the Doha Round talks quickly and agreeing to extend “moratoriums” on electronic commerce and intellectual property.

Tens of demonstrators of several regions of the world participated on Monday in the “Tour for the Financial Criminal Corporations” in Geneva in the parallel activities to the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO).