OTTAWA/TOKYO: Pacific trade talks have reached broad agreement on labour issues and sanitary and phytosanitary standards but some difficult aspects remain to be tackled, Japan’s chief negotiator said on Saturday.
United States President Barack Obama said last month he aimed to have a free-trade draft he could take to meetings with other leaders in November.
Chief Japanese negotiator Koji Tsuruoka said the 12 member nations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) made progress at talks in Ottawa, but there was no discussion about the timing of the overall accord in the regional free trade agreement.
“We came to Ottawa so that we would clarify what issues are left
(after TPP talks in Ottawa) and find out the direction. We achieved the desired goal,” he told a news conference.
But gaps remain to be bridged and further talks are required on issues such as intellectual property, state-owned companies and the environment, he said.
The meeting in Ottawa would be key to advancing the trade pact talks to their final stage by the end of
the year, he had said the previous week.
But Tsuruoka said the countries felt the situation was not yet ripe to set the timing for a ministerial meeting as talks among officials had not made sufficient progress by the end of Saturday’s in Ottawa, which ran about a week.
Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast said last Friday he would not put a timeline on when the TPP talks will conclude.
“We are bringing all of our efforts to bear to bring these negotiations forward in a timely manner,” he said. Reuters
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
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29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
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Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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