Trade : DG, defying mandates, deputes his officials to attend pluri-meetings (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Despite failure to secure multilateral approval at the eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) at Buenos Aires for various plurilateral initiatives, the WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo appears to have deputed his officials to attend the various meetings on plurilateral initiatives being held at the WTO, according to some trade envoys.

Trade : GPA Committee Chair outlines five goals for this year (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The Chair of the Committee on Government Procurement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 14 March outlined five possible goals for the Committee to pursue this year.

Environment : Water stress poses greatest threat to MENA region (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
This year, World Water Day, celebrated annually on 22 March, is themed "Nature for Water", examining nature-based solutions (NBS) to the world's water problems.

Opinion : LAC region edging towards eliminating tuberculosis (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington DC)
Known as El Libertador throughout the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, Simon Bolivar was central to the battle for independence from Spanish rule in Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.