Global wage trends have suffered from massive downward pressure due to COVID-19, according to a new ILO report. Women and low-paid workers' wages have been particularly hard it by the crisis.
The new ILO Global Wage Report 2020-2021 examines the evolution of real wages around the world, giving a unique picture of wage trends globally and by region. It shows that adequate minimum wages are key for a human-centred recovery from COVID-19 and (...)
The government of China has pledged to renew its contribution of USD 500,000 (CHF 451,500) to the WTO’s Least Developed Countries and Accessions Programme (also known as the China Programme) in 2020. The contribution was confirmed on 1 December 2020 at a signing ceremony with WTO Deputy (...)
The WTO launched today (27 November) the second edition of “A Handbook on the WTO TRIPS Agreement”, which describes the historical and legal background to the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), its role in the organization and its institutional framework. (...)
To mark the 100th anniversary of its Cooperatives Unit, the ILO has produced a video showing how it has worked with cooperatives to advance social justice and promote decent work.
In remarks on 25 November to the 54th session of the Joint Advisory Group that oversees the work of the International Trade Centre (ITC), WTO Deputy Director-General Yonov Frederick Agah argued that open international trade, together with efforts to ensure the benefits from economic activity (...)
The WTO will host the first edition of the Trade for Peace Week from 30 November to 4 December 2020. Ten virtual panel sessions will explore the nexus between trade and peace, with the focus on fragile and conflict-affected countries in accession which want to use trade and economic integration (...)
Senior government officials, intellectual property experts and representatives from academia marked on 24 November 2020 the 25th anniversary of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In a virtual symposium, the participants reflected on the evolution and (...)
The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) launched a digital campaign in October aimed at encouraging businesses in least-developed countries (LDCs) to share how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their participation in global value chains. Twelve businesses from 12 LDCs have shared their (...)
Speaking at the “1+6” roundtable meeting presided by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on 24 November, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff urged WTO members to begin serious engagement on improving the WTO, arguing there was enough common ground to reach major new agreements. He also called on China to (...)