WTO: GC meeting ends in stalemate, foreshadowing stormy MC14 (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The much-anticipated year-end General Council (GC) meeting at the World Trade Organization concluded on a sombre note on 18 December, setting the stage for a likely stormy 14th ministerial conference (MC14), to be held in Yaounde, Cameroon, on 26-29 March next year.

WTO: "Progress" & sharp divergence mark reform talks as MC14 looms (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The facilitator overseeing the World Trade Organization reform work on 18 December said members have made "quite a bit of progress" on the three issues of decision-making, special and differential treatment (S&DT) and development, and "level playing field" issues, while acknowledging that sharp divergences remain among members.

WTO: Deadlock over digital & investment JSIs sets up showdown at MC14 (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The year-end General Council (GC) meeting at the World Trade Organization (WTO) is set to kick the proverbial can down the road on two major controversial draft decisions concerning the incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA) and Agreement on Electronic Commerce into Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement dealing with plurilateral agreements.

UN: UNGA spotlights care economy's key role in sustainable development (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Recognizing that "the care economy contributes substantially to national income, employment creation, human capabilities and productivity", the UN General Assembly (UNGA) called for integrating the value of the care economy, particularly unpaid care work, into national policies and planning.

Note to Readers: Holiday Notice (PRIV)
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In view of the year-end recess in most UN and WTO activities, the SUNS will not be published during this holiday period. The next issue #10359 will appear on 13 January 2026. We wish all our readers best wishes for the season and a Happy New Year.