trade agreements

Around the world, multiple vaccines against COVID-19 are on track for regulatory approval. Arriving at safe, efficacious vaccines of consistent quality will be a major scientific achievement. No less a feat will be manufacturing and delivering COVID-19 vaccines globally – a challenge of unparalleled scale, reach, and complexity. This checklist from the WTO breaks down the regulatory, IP-related, and trade-related concerns that must be considered at each step, from development to distribution. This accompanying infographic illustrates these steps visually.

On the occasion of the WTO’s 25th anniversary, a number of representatives of the private sector, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have provided video messages where they reflect on what the WTO and the multilateral trading system means to them. They provide their thoughts on how to ensure trade continues to support economic growth, development and job creation and what they expect from the global trading system in the future.

The WTO is organizing on 24 November 2020 a virtual symposium to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). This will be the first of a series of commemorative events reflecting on the impact and evolution of the most comprehensive multilateral treaty on intellectual property protection and enforcement.

Two Singaporean business associations, the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have welcomed the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and said they will help local small and medium enterprises tap into the opportunities provided by the agreement.

The RCEP was signed by the ten ASEAN states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), and five of their FTA partners—Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. The 15 member countries account for 30% of the world’s population and 30% of global GDP, making it the world’s largest trade bloc.