Trade : WTO secretariat & DG reproached for vitiating negotiating climate (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
India and several developing countries on Thursday (23 February) reproached the World Trade Organization Secretariat led by Director-General Roberto Azevedo for "vitiating" the negotiating climate by pushing controversial new issues such as e-commerce and investment facilitation, despite opposition from a large majority of members, trade envoys told SUNS.

Trade : South stress on public stockholding, SSM, S&D, development (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
Many developing countries stressed the importance of outcomes, amongst others, on the issues of public stockholding for food security purposes and on the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) at MC11 in Buenos Aires later this year.

United Nations : Declares war on ocean plastic (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
The available data is enough for the United Nations to literally declare war on ocean plastic: more than 8 million tonnes leaks into their waters each year - equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute, wreaking havoc on marine wildlife, fisheries and tourism, and costing at least 8 billion dollars in damage to marine ecosystems.

Development : The rise of one-person households (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
A significant global demographic change having far-reaching consequences yet receiving scant attention is the rise of one-person households.