WTO : DG attempts to create a new mandate in agriculture talks (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The World Trade Organization's Director-General on 22 October stepped up her efforts to appoint facilitato rs by circulating "responses to main questions raised by members on the way forwa rd in the agriculture negotiations", essentially adopting the seemingly questiona ble method of detecting "convergence" rather than "consensus", which has been t he cardinal principle for decision-making among the 166 WTO members, said peop le familiar with the discussions.

UN : Maritime trade sees modest growth in 2024 amid uncertain future (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Maritime trade volume is projected to expan d by 2 per cent and containerized trade volume by 3.5 per cent in 2024, but sign ificant risks could still hinder a sustainable recovery in maritime trade, accordin g to UN Trade and Development (formerly known as UNCTAD).

Opinion : Another Nobel for Anglo-centric neo-liberal institutional economic s (PRIV)
(IPS, Kuala Lumpur)
New institutional economics (NIE) has received another so-called Nobel prize, ostensibly for again claiming that good institutions and democratic governa nce ensure growth, development, equity and democracy.