News Archive

Tea, Garments Win Buyer Approval for Labour Practices in Sri Lanka

Released: 1 Aug 2007

The Sri Lankan biggest exports, tea and garments, are gaining global recognition for ensuring workers' rights and welfare. Products like "ethical teas" and "ethical bras" (lingerie), which recognise labour rights in the workplace, have gained significant consumer loyalty in U.S. and European markets. The US is by far Sri Lanka’s largest customer buying almost 58% of the total export production, followed closely by the EU that takes around 38%.

Namibia expands aquaculture with oysters!

Released: 2 Aug 2007

Namibia will soon be able to expand its fledgling aquaculture industry and export oysters to the Far East, with Singapore the next destination after China and Hong Kong. Although the first local oyster cultivation was started 20 years ago and has expanded to 42 oyster farms in the Atlantic Ocean near Luederitz and Walvis Bay, severe health regulations in European countries and the US and the lack of a local testing laboratory have hampered the industry.

EU threatens Pacific Small Island States Stand over ‘aid for trade’

Released: 3 Aug 2007

After the African countries reacting negatively to the EU’s ‘aid for trade’, its now turn for the Governments in the Pacific region. The countries have reacted furiously to a threat by the European Union that it will reduce the amount of development aid they receive if they delay on signing a free trade deal with the 27-nation bloc.

Tanzania, Nigeria urge upon Africa-to-Africa trade

Released: 5 Aug 2007

Like most of the poor developing countries, one of the major problems of African farmers and industries is that they are simply working to make people in other countries richer. They produce what they do not consume and consume what they do not produce. Tanzania, which is famous for the production of coffee, sisal, cotton, cashew nuts, among others, export most of it as raw materials to the developed countries.

WTO members uncertain about September round of negotiations

Released: 3 Aug 2007

The meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee of the WTO, which oversees the Doha negotiations, concluded without a substantive decision on the status of the two modalities papers on agriculture and non-agricultural market access (NAMA). Contrary to the expectations of the diplomats, the status of the papers was left vague without any formal decision.

Africa apprehensive about excessive Chinese involvement

Released: 5 Aug 2007

With the US$55 billion Afro-Chinese trade deal and more than 700 active companies operating in the continent, the Africans are bit suspicious about the Chinese deal. China gets roughly a third of the African oil and many other important natural resources from the continent. These assets have helped fuel China's remarkable economic growth. But China has been accused of exploiting Africa's wealth of natural products.

10th Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean from 6 - 9 August 2007, Quito, Ecuador

Released: 6 Aug 2007

China’s rich-poor gap growing: ADB

Released: 9 Aug 2007

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) pointed out in a report on Wednesday that the wealth gap in China and other Asian countries is increasing thus rendering the anti-poverty policies ineffective and possibly fuelling unrest.

China to maintain safety standards requirement in export

Released: 9 Aug 2007

Recent reports from a lot of sources suggest China’s violation of safety norms in its exports, specifically those related to medicinal drugs. Under pressure from a lot of American companies, as well as complains from other countries, China has reacted by punishing certain companies for breaching export rules.

Ghanaian women follow Burkina Faso in Shea butter initiative

Released: 6 Aug 2007

After UNIFEM’s initiative on empowering the women workers and traders in the Shea butter industry in Burkina Faso and turn it into a globally popular ingredient for chocolate and cosmetics industry, its now turn for the UNDP to facilitate the Ghanaian women for the same.

UN Report recommends restricting Brain Drain from LDCs

Released: 7 Aug 2007

Skilled workers seeking to migrate to developed countries with well-paying jobs may soon be disillusioned if the UN has its way. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its LDC report, 2007 encourages developed countries to employ skilled workers on short-term basis to stem the increasing brain-drain.

WTO PUBLIC FORUM 2007 - HOW CAN THE WTO HELP HARNESS GLOBALIZATION?

Released: 12 Aug 2007

The WTO Public Forum will take place on 4-5 October 2007. The Forum is intended to provide civil society, academics and the public at large with a unique opportunity to debate with WTO Members how the WTO can best contribute to the management of globalization.

ASIAN EMPLOYMENT FORUM: GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT AND DECENT WORK

Released: 11 Aug 2007

The Forum addresses the broad challenges and opportunities posed by the Asian Decent Work Decade. The Forum will address the broad challenges and opportunities posed by the Asian Decent Work Decade.

10th Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and Caribbean uncover ‘Triple Glass Ceiling’

Released: 9 Aug 2007

Indigenous and black women in Latin America and the Caribbean face three-fold discrimination because of their gender, race and social class, both in the social and political structure. Participants in a panel on "Citizenship and Political Participation by Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Women" at the 10th Regional Conference on Women that ended Thursday in the Ecuadorean capital, said this in the context of women being discriminated by governments, by men and also often by other women.

Asian Growth requires pollution fight: ILO

Released: 12 Aug 2007

ILO's report on decent work is being discussed in the Asia-Pacific Employment Forum: Growth, Employment and Decent Work, which is being held at Beijing, People’s Republic of China, from 13-15 August.

Women Solely Responsible for Care Economy in Argentina

Released: 8 Aug 2007

In the history of Argentina, for the first time, a woman is the favourite to win presidential elections. But this is not an indicator for women’s well-being in the country. Gender equity in the home is lagging way behind. A government study indicates that seven out of 10 men do not help with the housework.

Bolivian women put work in priority

Released: 8 Aug 2007

For the Bolivian women, work comes first and it is no longer the woman whose priorities are staying at home and looking after kids. This has been reflected in the National Survey on Women’s Perceptions of Exclusion and Discrimination. The survey found that in the life plans of most women in Bolivia, work comes first, and a decreasing number have plans based exclusively on marriage or motherhood.

ADB investments to promote trade between PRC and Viet Nam

Released: 15 Aug 2007

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help develop a road network in the western province of Guangxi, one of the poorest parts of the People’s Republic of China, to promote trade through a regional transport system linking the province and nearby Viet Nam.

Foreword to WTO Annual Report, 2007

Released: 14 Aug 2007

In the event of the release of the WTO Annual Report, 2007, Director-General Pascal Lamy in his foreword, underlined need for significant Doha progress. In the report published on 14 august 2007, he said that the “most demanding” of the tasks facing the WTO this year is the conclusion of the Doha Development Round. He also added that in parallel with the efforts of Members and the Secretariat to advance the negotiations, the past year has also involved hard work on many other issues, including on trade and environment, and on the Aid for Trade initiative for developing countries.

FTA in Africa by January: SADC

Released: 13 Aug 2007

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is poised to launch the Free Trade Area (FTA) by January next year to accelerate the regional agenda of the grouping.

IFC Studies Praise Tanzanian Government for Promoting Gender Equality

Released: 15 Aug 2007

Two new World Bank Group studies commissioned by Tanzania's Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Marketing, appraised the government for commendable progress in addressing gender inequalities in policy and legislation and for recognizing the economic contributions of women. They also suggest that Tanzania could at least gain a percentage point of growth by removing obstacles to women's entrepreneurship.

EAC States Puzzled Over EU Trade Deals

Released: 14 Aug 2007

The EAC states have been discussing the issue of negotiation with the EU as a single bloc or as part of the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Group for some time now and there seems to be contradictions among member states.

Informal trade crucial for job creation among women in Africa

Released: 15 Aug 2007

“Sithabile Khuzwayo is one of many women who bring groceries and clothing from across the borders of neighbouring Botswana and South Africa to sell at the flourishing flea markets of Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo,” says a news report.

“Iguala.cl” launched to ensure gender equality in Chile

Released: 16 Aug 2007

“Chile - Growing in Equality" is the name of the ethical campaign launched by the government of Michelle Bachelet to advertise its programme "Iguala.cl". the programme is aimed at bringing about equality between men and women and urge upon the private companies to voluntarily comply with the gender equity standards for their employees. The campaign for good employment practices, which was launched Tuesday, includes radio spots and advertising on public transport.

Violation of women’s rights in Guatemalan Maquilas

Released: 14 Aug 2007

"We had no set punch out time. Sometimes we would work through the night until dawn," says Everilda Yanis, who worked at an export garment factory in Guatemala that closed down in December 2006, leaving her and hundreds of co-workers in the street with no severance pay.

Farm Bill Robs Poor to Pay Rich

Released: 17 Aug 2007

As the US Farm Bill, 2007 gets approved by the House on the eve of August recess, it evoked several critical reactions from various corners. Certain reactions to the Farm bill have been posted below

Lamy urges completion of Doha Round

Released: 17 Aug 2007

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech in Kuala Lumpur on 17 August 2007, said today's challenges are “resisting protectionist tendencies, investing in policies which ensure that the benefits of trade are spread fairly among and within countries and investing in a stable multilateral trading system”.

UNCTAD delivering distance learning to boost e-commerce in Latin America through use of ICTs

Released: 15 Aug 2007

UNCTAD is set to increase business opportunities and attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America by taking advantage of the increased usage of internet and other ICT activities in the Latin American region.

Angola not ready to join SADC Free Trade Zone immediately

Released: 19 Aug 2007

Angola`s deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, George Chicoty, on Saturday said that the heads of state and government attending the 27th summit of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in Lusaka, Zambia, assumed a commitment of speeding up the process of creation of a regional free trade area until 2008.

Labour law amendments create hazards for workers in Malaysia

Released: 21 Aug 2007

As Malaysia celebrates 50 years as an independent nation, this month, there is little to cheer for some 12 million workers who have been dealt a body blow by a government enchanted with neo-liberal policies that promote businesses over their welfare.