Tariffs and Non-Tariff Trade Barriers

Pertinent to any discussion on trade are strategies to be used to protect human health and national economies without adopting fully protectionist trade measures (for example, the Buy American policy). This is why tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers are always being discussed in the WTO. While they are pertinent to agricultural trade, they are also discussed in the context of industrial and natural resource products (non-agricultural market access negotiations).

Position Papers

Just a reminder that your position papers are due on February 8.

http://www.ualberta.ca/~hsmun/positionpapers.html

Check out the above link for information on how to write your position papers.

Thank you!!

WTO in 2010...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-01/31/c_13157375.htm

A very recent article on the WTO's commitments despite the deadlock in the Doha Round trade negotiations.

Background Papers!

A reminder for everyone that background papers are available:

Economic Diversification in Single Commodity, Developing States

Furthering the Goals of the 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration

Good luck on your research Delegates!

Position Papers

Hello all!

Just a reminder that your position papers will be due in early February, so please ensure that you're working on them. Following I have the link to the main HSMUN 2010 website, with all the information about the position papers.

http://www.ualberta.ca/~hsmun/positionpapers.html

Asian Farmers

Leading off my last post about protests at the conference, here is an article from the main website for the asian farmers organization (who made up the bulk of the protestors). It's regarding their issues with the WTO's direction and their own opinions. Take a look!

http://asianfarmers.org/?p=150

Some visuals?

So I found a great website with some pictures of the protestors at the WTO conference in Hong Kong. Something to get you inspired to do some research.. maybe looking into what the protestors had to say? That might be a great way to get some ideas about what the biggest issues are to the people affected by agricultural trades. And that in turn could give you some ideas about what needs to be changed in order to make the next ministerial conference a bigger success!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,1666419,00.html