Actor and activist Marlee Matlin says the ILO plays a crucial role in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in the world of work. Inclusion of persons with disabilities achieves the twin goals of advancing human rights and ensuring business (...)
An online information session was held by the WTO on 2 December to prepare for an Aid for Trade “stocktaking event” to be held online on 23 — 25 March 2021. Organized by the Committee on Trade and Development, the online event is set to examine the trade and development challenges arising from the (...)
On 2 December, at the conclusion of two days of meetings at the level of heads of delegation, the chair of the Negotiating Group on Rules, Ambassador Santiago Wills of Colombia, said he will continue his consultations with WTO members on the next steps in the (...)
Switzerland and the United Kingdom have completed the final step for making their respective participation in the revised Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) effective. As of 1 January 2021, the revised GPA will be in force for Switzerland, and the UK will be a party to the accord in its own (...)
Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff has paid tribute to former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who passed away on 25 November. His remarks were delivered at a webinar co-sponsored by the WTO and World Bank on 2 December.
Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff urged WTO members on 2 December to push for extensive reform of existing global farm trade rules, declaring a “pressing need for a breakthrough” on all major subjects under negotiation. In remarks delivered to a Virtual WTO Agriculture Symposium, DDG Wolff noted (...)
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. (...)