Trade : India blocks GC over agenda item on Investment Facilitation (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
India on Wednesday blocked the proceedings of the World Trade Organization General Council on grounds that the agenda includes proposals to discuss the controversial issue of investment facilitation that is not part of the WTO's mandate, trade envoys told SUNS.

Trade : Efforts to import parts of failed TiSA into services DR thwarted (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Many developing and least-developed countries on Tuesday (9 May) thwarted attempts by the Chair of the World Trade Organization Working Party on Domestic Regulation to steam-roll discussions on proposals, apparently incorporated from the failed Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiations, services negotiators told SUNS.

Trade : Focus on public stockholding, SSM, S&D, not new issues, HOD told (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
An informal Heads of Delegation meeting at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Monday heard a large majority of developing countries insisting that the focus in the run-up to MC11 in Buenos Aires later this year should be on the Doha Work Program and Nairobi Ministerial decisions, and not on new issues such as E-commerce and investment facilitation.

Climate : Call for balanced progress in Paris Agreement work (PRIV)
(T. Ajit, Bonn)
Developing countries reiterated the call to ensure balanced progress on all items related to the implementation of the Paris Agreement (PA) across the various bodies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Rights : Equal rights in education - the case of Bahrain, Colombia, Sri Lanka (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome/Geneva)
The role of education in enhancing equality of citizenship rights and diversity within communities affected by inter-communal civil strife will be top on the agenda of a meeting in Geneva on May 12.