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The second day of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) General Council (GC) meeting concluded on a bleak note, with little to no progress on key issues, including agriculture, the second half of the proposed fisheries agreement, and ongoing concerns over reforming the dispute settlement system (DSS), according to people familiar with the discussions.
Several members reportedly raised sharp concerns about the lack of progress in elements such as the "scope of the mechanism" and the "standard of review." Developing countries—Egypt, India, Chad (on behalf of the African Group), and South Africa—emphasized the importance of accessibility.
A proposed decision by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to establish a formal process under the Committee on Agriculture Special Session (CoA SS) to jumpstart agriculture negotiations has caused unease among several members and raised questions about the integrity of the process, according to people familiar with the developments.
Members are working to understand the implications of formalizing the process and appointing facilitators, given that meetings of the Doha negotiating body on agriculture are conventionally held informally. The CoA SS refers to the Doha agriculture negotiating body, which operates under the overarching mandate of the Doha Trade Negotiations Committee.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee held their quarterly meeting Tuesday, with a wary eye towards the year end and potential for a change of regime.
The United States, South Korea and Japan announced the formation of a Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) on North Korea as an alternative to the dissolved U.N. panel of experts that had monitored sanctions enforcement until April.
VOA reports that members of the former U.N. panel of experts said the new mechanism could function effectively but might be hurt by the lack of a United Nations mandate. China and Russia, two of the five veto-wielding Security Council permanent members, will not participate in the newly formed team.
Thursday OFAC sanctioned eighteen companies, individuals, and vessels for their ties to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)-backed Houthi financial official Sa’id al-Jamal (al-Jamal) and his network. Included in this action are the captains of vessels transporting illicit oil as well as the companies that managed and operated these ships.
Thursday OFAC announced it is targeting three entities and one individual for their involvement in the development and production of Russia’s Garpiya series long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
While the United States previously imposed sanctions on PRC entities providing critical inputs to Russia’s military-industrial base, these are the first U.S. sanctions imposed on PRC entities directly developing and producing complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian firms.
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