… With Cambodia, we have taken the decision to start the process of temporary withdrawal of the EBA trade preferences. I have discussed with the Prime Minister … Hun Sen … what our expectations are for what should happen for this not to go on - in particular the improvement of the political, democratic climate. […]

...[I]n the official negotiations, the Chair-Rapporteur introduced Article 5 on Jurisdiction of the Zero Draft... One point that the experts noticed was the need to define which court can take up a case for litigation. A possible scenario where the same case could be filed at the same time to different courts should be avoided... […]

"The trillion-dollar question: Can private lawyers hold drug companies accountable for the opioid epidemic?", Oct 2018 Cities, states and counties across the country have hired private lawyers to sue the pharmaceutical companies that they blame for the addiction crisis that has cost tens of thousands of lives – and billions of dollars. One of the […]

British trade minister Liam Fox has pulled out of a Saudi investment summit next week, the BBC reported on Thursday... Fox was listed as a speaker at the Riyadh summit, which other European ministers and business leaders have also said they will no longer attend following criticism of the kingdom over the disappearance of journalist Jamal […]

The list of luminaries shunning a Saudi Arabia investment conference expanded Thursday, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin canceling while Fox Business pulled out as a media partner... “This incident is unacceptable and clearly they have to answer questions,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said Thursday in a CNBC interview. Saudi […]

"Silicosis fund to be established in April 2019", 17 Oct 2018 A trust, which will disburse funds for mine workers who contracted silicosis and tuberculosis, is to be established in April 2019... This follows the historic class action settlement reached on 3 May between mining companies and claimants’ attorneys. The class action involved mining companies […]

"Sick miners to bring class action lawsuit against coal mining companies", 18 oct 2018 ...Ndou Tshifhwa Constance‚ a 51-year-old widow from Limpopo...is being helped by Catholic bishops to bring a class action suit against South African coal mining companies. Her late husband worked on the mines for more than 10 years. He was retrenched due […]

Acá están las principales noticias sobre empresas y derechos humanos de esta semana. Se incluyen respuestas de empresas y anuncios relevantes. Lea la Actualización completa Archivo de Actualizaciones Semanales anteriores Suscripción a las Actualizaciones

« Les porte-voix de la société civile », 18 octobre 2018 Les défenseurs des droits humains réclament une meilleure protection contre ceux qui veulent les faire taire... «...On assiste au rétrécissement des espaces de la société civile, des libertés d’expression, d’association et de réunion » [selon Katia Roux, chargée de plaidoyer à Amnesty France]. ...[L]e sommet mondial […]

Le Sommet mondial des défenseurs des droits humains 2018 permettra de célébrer les progrès réalisés au cours des vingt dernières années et de se tourner vers les vingt prochaines. L'objectif principal de ce Sommet est que dans 20 ans, en 2038, une nouvelle génération de DDH voie voit cet événement comme ayant marqué le début […]

Thirty participants from around the world are attending an Advanced Trade Policy Course (ATPC) from 8 October to 30 November 2018 at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. The course was opened by H.E. Mr Mikael Anzén, Sweden’s Permanent Representative to the WTO, and Ms Bridget Chilala, Director of the WTO’s Institute for Training and Technical […]

WTO members have agreed that the organization’s next Ministerial Conference will take place from 8 to 11 June 2020 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The dates were endorsed at an 18 October meeting of the WTO’s General Council.

On 17 October 2018, parties to the WTO plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) unanimously approved a decision to welcome Australia as the 48th WTO member to be covered by the Agreement. Australia will officially become a GPA party 30 days after submitting its Instrument of Accession to the WTO’s Director-General.

In a speech delivered in London on 17 October, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said that despite its imperfections, the multilateral trading system has delivered stability and predictability in commercial relations and helped fuel unprecedented growth and development around the world. “Let’s work together to shape the trading system that we want to see — one which […]

At a meeting of the full WTO membership today (16 October), Director-General Roberto Azevêdo noted the emerging debate on ‘WTO reform’ and highlighted the importance that this discussion is inclusive. He said: “The state of this organization is an issue in which everyone has an interest, so it is important for all members to engage […]

At a meeting of the Committee on Rules of Origin on 15-16 October, WTO members further reviewed the use and application of preferential rules of origin programmes for least developed countries (LDCs) in line with commitments made at the WTO’s 2013 Bali and 2015 Nairobi ministerial conferences. Members in particular examined utilization rates of the […]

On 12 October 2018, Canada notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 11 October 2018 a safeguard investigation on certain steel products.

Government officials from 28 developing and least developed country (LDC) WTO members and one observer participated in the 14th Workshop on Trade and Public Health, which took place in Geneva from 8 to 12 October 2018.

On 11 October 2018, Indonesia notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 9 October 2018 a safeguard investigation on aluminium foil.

Open Europe's David Shiels spoke to TRT World News on October 17 about the deadlock in Brexit negotiations, saying that it is important for the EU to realise that the UK Prime Minister faces several constraints in Parliament.The post Parliamentary constraint is key problem for Theresa May appeared first on Open Europe.

Appearing on TRT World News, Open Europe’s Dominic Walsh examined the prospect of solving the Irish border backstop issue in Brexit negotiations at this week’s European Council summit.The post EU needs to move on the Irish backstop issue in Brexit talks appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe held an event on October 9 in the House of Commons to discuss the next steps in Brexit negotiations after the Salzburg EU leaders informal summit. Below is an overview of the discussion.The post Event summary: After Salzburg what next? appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe's David Shiels appeared on TRT World News on October 4 to discuss progress on the Irish backstop in Brexit negotiations.The post Why is the EU Irish backstop proposal unacceptable to the UK Government? appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe held a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on October 2, to examine the progress in UK-EU negotiations with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Below is an overview of the discussion.The post Discussing Brexit: In Conversation with Dominic Raab appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe's Henry Newman spoke to Sky News live from the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on October 1, discussing what is next in Brexit negotiations after the EU Council Summit in Salzburg along with Conservative MP Ben Bradley. The post Is the Government’s Chequers proposal ‘dead’? appeared first on Open Europe.

The Migration Advisory Committee recently published its report on the impact of international students in the UK. Open Europe's Jacob Osborne argues that the government should go beyond its recommendations.The post How should the government respond to the MAC report on international students? appeared first on Open Europe.

Following the informal EU leaders summit at Salzburg, Open Europe’s Henry Newman argued on BBC 2 Politics Live on September 21 that Prime Minister Theresa May needs to explain clearly the compromises made by the Government to come up with the Chequers proposal as well as her future Brexit policy.The post The Prime Minister needs […]

Open Europe’s Aarti Shankar discussed the state of Brexit negotiations on Euronews English on September 18, saying that while the informal EU leaders summit in Salzburg is not a turning point, it gives the EU27 leaders the opportunity to discuss the UK’s Chequers proposal and come up with a response.The post Salzburg Summit will not […]

Ahead of the informal EU leaders summit in Salzburg, Austria, where Brexit will be a topic of discussion, Open Europe’s Stephen Booth appeared on Sky News to assess whether we should expect a change in the EU27 position. The post A key issue at the Salzburg Summit will be the formulation of the ‘backstop’ on […]