Expect tight security around the WTO buildings, but mainly at the CICG where the conference takes place
Several thousand in Geneva for WTO meeting, demonstration
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The barriers were being readied in front of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Thursday 26 November along the lake road in Geneva, and security measures around the area began to move into place for the start of the Seventh Ministerial Conference Monday 30 November, with several thousand people expected to take part.
Hotels have little space, but for local residents the main sign of the global talks will be disrupted traffic.
Detours and road closings begin Saturday 28 November, when 3,000-5,000 demonstrators are expected to take part in an anti-WTO march that starts at 14:30 at the Place Neuve.
Anti-WTO march Saturday after in centre of Geneva
The Vengeron exit (where the road split before the airport) on the A1 autoroute into Geneva, coming from Lausanne, will be closed early Saturday 28 November until the end of the march late afternoon. Traffic will be directed to the airport exit.
The march itinerary supplied by Geneva police:
A tall order for WTO negotiators
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Doha Round talks resumed on the technical level in earnest at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva 14 September after a commitment to conclude the Round by 2010 from ministers from 35 countries meeting in New Delhi, India 3 and 4 September. The Doha Round of trade talks collapsed in July 2008 after trade ministers failed to agree on issues tied to agriculture and industrial import rules.
The blame for the collapse was widely laid on differences between India, China and the US on the special safeguards mechanism, a means to raise tariffs against a sudden surge of imports.
