Trade: Rules chair's latest fisheries text seen as "asymmetrical" (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Washington DC)
Ahead of the trade ministers' meeting on 15 July on fisheries subsidies, the chair of the Doha Rules negotiations has issued a draft consolidated text, on his own responsibility, on prohibiting harmful fisheries subsidies, in what is being seen as an "asymmetrical" and "rigged" text in favour of the big subsidizers, said people familiar with the development.

Trade: Will US & EU bully LDCs on intellectual property amidst Covid-19? (PRIV)
(Sangeeta Shashikant, London)
Limited progress has been made on the least developed countries' (LDCs) request submitted in October 2020 for an extension of their transition period for implementation of WTO's TRIPS Agreement, set to expire on 1 July 2021.

WHO: Should Members pursue a pandemic treaty, in midst of Covid-19? (PRIV)
(N. Ramakrishnan, K M Gopakumar & Sangeeta Shashikant, New Delhi et al)
New Delhi, 12 May (Nithin Ramakrishnan, K M Gopakumar & Sangeeta Shashikant) -- A draft decision on the negotiation modalities of a pandemic treaty for consideration of the 74th World Health Assembly has been circulated to WHO Members at a time when most governments are struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic as they desperately grapple with repeated lock-downs, overwhelmed hospitals, and shortages of essentials such as oxygen, vaccines, medicines and diagnostics.