"Filipinos want brands to take a stand", 16 December 2018 Zero poverty, quality education, and good health and well-being are the three social issues that Filipinos care most about—and they expect brands to become more involved in addressing these issues, too. This is one of the key findings of “Purpose In Asia,” a report published […]

7 December 2018 ...When the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy dam in Laos collapsed, two South Korean companies involved in the construction of the dam project suddenly faced tough questions.... ...[T]he issues behind it are in fact characteristic of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Laos. As South Korea seeks to deepen economic ties with Laos, weak […]

12 December 2018 Facebook is among a number of companies from the US, UK, France, Switzerland and China named on a "dirty list" of corporations accused of involvement in human rights and environmental violations in Myanmar, or of doing business with the country's military, which is accused of genocide. ...Burma Campaign UK said Facebook was […]

An Indonesian court denied a lawsuit against an environmental expert Basuki Wasis, whose testimony led to the conviction of a governor involved in a mining scandal. The court ruled that as a witness, Basuki could not be subjected to criminal or civil charges. The court said that legal protections must be enforced to sheild expert […]

13 December 2018 An Indonesian court has thrown out a lawsuit against an environmental expert whose testimony led to the conviction of a governor in a mining scandal. Basuki Wasis, an expert on environmental degradation from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), had testified...in the trial of Nur Alam, the governor of Southeast Sulawesi province, […]

"Wilmar's supplier mapping plan could be a 'breakthrough' for palm oil industry", 12 December 2018 The world's largest palm oil trader, Singapore-headquartered Wilmar International, has hatched a new plan to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain.... Wilmar is to map and monitor its suppliers using satellites, giving a clear picture of their activities on the […]

A Relatoria do Direito Humano ao Meio Ambiente da Plataforma Dhesca Brasil realizou investigações in loco de denúncias de violações de direitos humanos referentes ao Complexo SUAPE (Complexo Industrial Portuário Governador Eraldo Gueiros). O resultado de tais investigações foi publicado no relatório “Complexos Industrias e Violações de Direitos. O caso de SUAPE – Complexo Industrial […]

At least 8 thousand Brazilian children and teenagers work in the chocolate production chain according to the report requested by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and by Brazil’s Labor Prosecution Office, between 2017 and 2018. Brasil de Fato interviewed Marques Casara, one of the idealizers of the research, reiterated how important it is to hold […]

12 de diciembre de 2018 Ya no hay recurso ni estrategia que le valga a la empresa Ford para ocultar los hechos. Dos de sus ex máximos directivos fueron condenados por unanimidad por cometer crímenes de lesa humanidad contra 24 trabajadores durante el terrorismo de Estado en Argentina. Hubiesen sido más si el expresidente Juan […]

Dos altos directivos de la planta de Ford fueron sentenciados a 10 y 12 años de prisión por su participación en las detenciones de trabajadores de la planta de la automotriz Ford durante la dictadura militar. Hubieran sido cuatro los condenados, pero dos murieron tras 16 años de proceso judicial, dilatado muchas veces, pero, finalmente, […]

The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 18 December 2018, of the Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members and oversees legal disputes among them. The meeting notice is circulated in the form of a document officially called an “airgram”.

The dispute settlement system under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1947 functioned for nearly 50 years and received more than 300 complaints between contracting parties before being replaced by the WTO’s dispute settlement system. To mark the 70th anniversary of the GATT, the WTO has issued today (14 December) a new publication […]

On 14 December the Appellate Body issued its report in the cases brought by Mexico and the United States in “United States — Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products — Second Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by Mexico” (DS381).

India filed an appeal on 14 December concerning the WTO panel report in the case brought by Japan in “India — Certain Measures on Imports of Iron and Steel Products” (DS518). The panel report was circulated to WTO members on 6 November.

On 13 December the Appellate Body issued its report in the cases by the European Union and Japan in “Brazil — Certain Measures Concerning Taxation and Charges” (DS472 and DS497).

The Director-General’s annual overview on trade-related developments presented to members on 11 December at a meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) shows a significant increase in trade coverage of trade restrictive measures by WTO members from mid-October 2017 to mid-October 2018. While members continued to implement trade-facilitating measures, the trade coverage of the […]

Addressing a WTO economic conference on 11 December 2018, entitled ‘Updating Trade Cooperation: An Economic View’, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo argued that current trade tensions provide an opportunity for the rules-based multilateral trading system to prove its value and for reforms to be deliberated in response to the evolving global economy. Sound analysis and strong evidence […]

Director-General Roberto Azevêdo met with Geneva Week participants today (11 December) to welcome them to Geneva and brief them on the WTO’s current work and priorities. In an open discussion, issues raised included the value of the WTO for small and vulnerable economies, the impasse in the Appellate Body and the growing debate on WTO […]

Trade has made a significant contribution to poverty reduction but further integration of developing countries into international markets and policies to share the gains from trade more widely will be essential for further reducing poverty and ensuring that no one is left behind, according to a joint publication by the World Bank Group and the […]

After the European Council summit, Open Europe's Henry Newman assesses the next steps for Prime Minister Theresa May on BBC Politics Live (December 14).The post What next in Brexit negotiations? appeared first on Open Europe.

After Prime Minister Theresa May won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservatives, Open Europe's Anna Nadibaidze and Zoe Alipranti look at the European press reactions to events in the UK and what they mean for Brexit.The post May’s victory is temporary: Europe reacts to Conservative Party confidence vote appeared first on […]

As the European Council Summit begins in Brussels, Open Europe’s Pieter Cleppe speaks TRT World News about what could be done to help the Brexit deal pass through the UK Parliament.The post Theresa May arrives at European Council Summit seeking concessions on Brexit appeared first on Open Europe.

Ahead of the European Council summit, Open Europe's Dominic Walsh spoke to Al Jazeera English on December 13 about the next steps in Brexit negotiations.The post EU Council: What is likely at this stage is not a renegotiation but a declaration appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe's Henry Newman spoke to BBC News on December 12 about the confidence vote in Prime Minister Theresa May and what it means for Brexit negotiations.The post Theresa May’s Brexit deal is the only plan on the table appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe's Dominic Walsh spoke to Al Jazeera English on December 11 about Prime Minister Theresa May's efforts to get assurances from the EU for the Brexit deal to pass the Commons.The post Prime Minister looks for concessions from EU on backstop appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe discusses the steps forward in Brexit negotiations on CNBC, as Prime Minister Theresa May goes back to the EU to renegotiate the deal.The post Theresa May wants to reassure backbenchers over Irish backstop appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe’s David Shiels takes a look at possible reforms to the backstop and whether they would be acceptable to Unionists in Northern Ireland.The post Can the Government secure meaningful reassurances on the backstop? appeared first on Open Europe.

Open Europe's Aarti Shankar takes a look at the ECJ ruling that Article 50 can unilaterally be revoked and considers what this means for the Brexit process.The post What does the ECJ decision on Article 50 mean? appeared first on Open Europe.

The deal the UK and the EU recently reached on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the Future Relationship has provoked considerable political debate and controversy. However, many of the claims made about the Brexit deal do not stand up to scrutiny. Below, Open Europe set out how the deal has been misinterpreted by […]