Share this page!

Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Twitter logo
Jan 27 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
JOB/GC/281 is here tradebetablog.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/walker…

See 🧵⬇️

And …

1/2
… and an explanation is here.

2/2 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/11/26/wto…
PS. Feb 28 deadline (good luck with that ambassador @CastilloDacio)

On the WTO website

"I appeal to you to engage in building up—not down—what we have before us. ... It does not sound like we are in for rosy days ahead, but I know the pain will be worth the effort." —Chair @CastilloDacio

wto.org/english/news_e…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Peter Ungphakorn

Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @CoppetainPU

Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Jan 26
The situation in Switzerland will determine whether/when an in-person WTO Ministerial Conference can be scheduled.

What is the situation in 🇨🇭?

1/6
1. Case numbers continue to rise, but hospitalisations and deaths seem to have peaked and are a bit lower in 🇨🇭.

2/6 covid19.admin.ch/en/overview?ti…
2. Omicron is now almost 90% of cases detected in 🇨🇭. Does that partly explain why cases are still rising but hospitalisations and deaths have eased?

The vaccination rates are not great—68% with two doses, 38% boosted. Much better among over-65s.

3/6 covid19.admin.ch/en/overview?ti…
Read 6 tweets
Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Jan 26
Starting today: six “plurilateral” meetings in the WTO spread over two weeks

Plurilaterals = meetings/agreements among only part of the WTO’s membership

Some: also called joint-statement initiatives (JI⬇️)

Seen as the way ahead, but controversial

1/7 wto.org/english/news_e…
Today (Jan 26), tomorrow (Jan 27) and Tuesday (Feb 1)—Plurilateral on investment facilitation for development

(Why suddenly the need to call WTO discussions “structured”? Are any unstructured?)

2/7 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/01/03/17-…
Today (Jan 26), tomorrow (Jan 27) and Tuesday (Feb 1)—Plurilateral on investment facilitation for development

Here’s the agenda for today and tomorrow

3/7
Read 7 tweets
Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Jan 25
TODAY: informal WTO General Council meeting, mainly on procedure

PURPOSE: chair @CastilloDacio reporting to the full membership on his consultations, Jan 18-19

TOPICS:
• If/when to hold the postponed ministerial conference
• WTO response to the pandemic
• How to proceed

1/6
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE NEW DATE?

Few keen on “virtual” meeting

DG @NOIweala: Secretariat looking at 3 options

1. Hold soon—no ceremony, businesslike, slimmed down
2. Medium (eg summer) possible
3. Long term, can prepare for it

Swiss amb. said COVID-19 in 🇨🇭 unpredictable

2/6
Chair @CastilloDacio said some members proposed a tentative date (“a window”) should be set to focus minds and keep up the momentum; others said that would be premature but members should keep up the momentum.

3/6
Read 7 tweets
Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Jan 17
Some thoughts on financing the BBC

How to assess the options—Licence fee? From tax? Subscription? Advertising?)

• business model only (“if it’s such value for money it can easily sell subscriptions”)
• public service (society as a whole benefiting)

Finance➡️Economics…

1/15
A couple of key concepts

• ECONOMIES OF SCALE. Eg news—from Radio Stoke to Westminster to BBC Washington Bureau to Pashtu Service (Afghanistan), reporters feed a central newsroom supplying multiple BBC outlets. Similar sharing in arts, music, documentaries, sport, more …

2/15
• EXTERNALITIES (positive), the public service dimension—when something (broadcasting) has a broader benefit than simply between the producer and consumer (more than just the viewer enjoying Newsnight or East Enders)

3/15 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externali…
Read 15 tweets
Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Jan 12
It’s not easy to separate issues, but I think the reaction to Monday’s @wto meeting has been overblown.

The main question: will an online meeting of ministers right now help break the deadlock over the intellectual property waiver?

Even some waiver-supporters said “no”.

1/4
Those who want an online meeting of ministers at this stage have to explain how they think it would help break the deadlock.

This ⬇️ is what happens in a virtual meeting of ministers from the whole WTO.

#TRIPSwaiver @DimitriEynikel

2/4 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/no-…
So, a stream of prepared speeches, sequenced by time zone, no interaction.

No surprise that some pro-waiver countries are sceptical too.

ACP coordinator is Vanuatu. What time will it be in Vanuatu when EU and US speak?

#TRIPSwaiver @DimitriEynikel

3/4 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/no-…
Read 4 tweets
Peter Ungphakorn Profile picture
Jan 5
This is an interesting development. Some observations:

1. EUA = emergency use authorisation

2. As a least-developed country, Bangladesh is not *required* to protect patents (or any intellectual property) under the WTO agreement.

3. But ...
3. But Bangladesh does have a patent law, 110 years old, from 1911. It has been drafting a new law since 2012, apparently not yet completed.

wto.org/english/tratop… (page 83)

4. It's unclear from the news story ...
5. It's unclear from the news story if Bangladesh's approval of Bexovid (the generic version of Paxlovid) is under procedures for patented products within the law, or because the drug's patent is not registered in Bangladesh.

6. The news story says ...

economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healt…
Read 5 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @CoppetainPU has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @CoppetainPU!

Read all threads by @CoppetainPU

:(