WTO launches handbook on global trade intellectual property rights

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Friday launched 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). The global trade group said in an email that the handbook also described its role in the... Read More

Nigeria, others may not get access to Covid-19 drugs as EU, US block rights waiver

Nigeria and other developing countries may not have access to the Coronavirus Vaccine and other medications as quickly as they would have desired as wealthy nations on Friday reiterated their opposition to a proposal to waive intellectual property rules for COVID-19 drugs. According to a report by Reuters, despite pressure to make an exception... Read More

WTO shifts final decision on Okonjo-Iweala till further notice

By Oludare Mayowa The World Trade Organization (WTO) said it has postponed the General Council meeting scheduled for November 9, to consider the appointment of the next WTO Director-General. The global trade organisation stated this in a statement on Friday, saying the chair of the General Council, informed members of the decision on November... Read More

Covid-19 spread could delay selection of new WTO head as Geneva Lockdown

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) effort to select a new leader next week could be delayed for at least another month because of the rapid spread of Covid-19 in Switzerland. On Sunday Geneva’s cantonal authorities announced strict new lockdown measures amid a surge in infections and hospitalizations in the Swiss city. From Nov. 2... Read More

WTO leadership dilemma, options before the global trade body

By Oludare Mayowa with agency report History may be repeating itself in the process leading to the selection and appointment of a new Director-General for the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Despite the overwhelming support for the candidate nominated by Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become the next DG of the world trade mediation body, the... Read More

Uncertainty over WTO DG selection as world looks toward Nov 9 meet

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) bid to select a new leader was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday after the United States rejected the Nigerian candidate, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala proposed as the global trade watchdog’s next director-general. Nigeria has, however, vowed to sustain its support for its former finance minister and managing director of the World... Read More

Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala may emerge next WTO DG, gets key endorsement

Nigeria’s former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has received a key endorsement Wednesday from the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) selection committee, moving her a step closer to becoming the WTO’s first female director-general, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The panel of three senior WTO ambassadors told Okonjo-Iweala that she had a wide margin... Read More

Global trade plunges 30% in Q2 2020 due to impact of Covid-19 t ~WTO

By Samuel Bankole Global trade in services in the second quarter of 2020 plunged by a record 30 percent year-on-year, with the travel sector particularly hard hit by COVID-19 and associated restrictions, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has said. In a report published on Friday, the WTO said the declines in services trade were... Read More

European Parliament endorses Okonjo-Iweala WTO DG candidacy

By GFDNews correspondent The European Parliament has endorsed Nigeria’s candidate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s quest to become the next Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In a letter signed by the Co-chairs of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO Steering Group, Bernd Lange and Sven Simon, the EU Parliament said it screened the two remaining... Read More

Nigeria promises to canvass more support for WTO nominee, Okonjo-Iweala

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Abuja assured Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the country Nigeria has said that it will explore every opportunity and deploy its entire energy to ensure that its nominee for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerges at... Read More