Poverty & Hunger

14.12.2005 The charity Christian Aid has cited leaked documents to say that the European Union (EU) will push developing nations to privatise services such as water, healthcare and banking at the trade ministers meeting in Hong Kong this week.

14.12.2005 In a bizarre waterborne protest yesterday, hundreds of South Korea's notoriously militant farmers stripped off to their boxer shorts, donned orange lifejackets and leapt into Hong Kong harbour in a back-door attempt to sink the world trade talks.

14.12.2005 The World Bank Monday urged World Trade Organization (WTO) members meeting in Hong Kong to drive through "real and meaningful" reforms to agricultural trade for the benefit of the planet's poorest citizens, reports Agence France Presse.

14.12.2005 Ministers from the World Trade Organisation's 149 member nations are holding talks in Hong Kong aimed at reducing global trade barriers. The ministers will try and reach agreements abolishing import tariffs and national subsidies for agriculture, industry and goods and services. At the Doha conference, four years ago, it was agreed that subsidies and import tariffs would be abolished by the end of next year.

14.12.2005 The European Union tried to open up a divide in the developing world by offering aid to the least developing countries (LDCs) at Hong Kong. Despite the pronouncements of aid the developing world seems to be sticking together.

13.12.2005 What might be considered a failure at the World Trade Organisation talks this week could actually turn out to be its success, leading non-governmental organisations say.

13.12.2005 In a report published by ActionAid on the eve of World Trade Organisation ministerial in Hong Kong, the international development agency warns that developing countries will be trapped in poverty if they are denied the right to protect their economies against international competition.