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KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE
RESOURCES
TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This page was updated
on: 01/12/10
UNCTAD HANDBOOK OF STATISTICS ONLINE
2003
(UNCTAD, 2003) The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
has released a comprehensive collection of statistical data relevant to
the analysis of international trade, foreign direct investment and
development. The database presents
reference statistics considered by UNCTAD to be of importance for
describing, in the context of the globalization, how developing
countries have evolved during the last decades, with data going back to
1950. The data is organized into
eight chapters: international merchandise trade; trade and commodity
price indices; structure of international trade by region; structure of
international trade by product; international trade in services;
international finance; indicators of development; and special studies.
This resource is also available as a CD-ROM. More information is
available at:
http://www.unctad.org/statistics/handbook and users can register to
use the database at:
http://stats.unctad.org/restricted/eng/ReportFolders/Rfview/Explorerp.asp
SELF-REGULATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT - GUIDELINES SET BY WORLD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS FOR THEIR
MEMBERS' FIRMS: AN UPDATE 1996–2003
(UNCTAD, December 2003) This
report updates a 1996 effort to appraise the environmental guidelines of
world industry associations. In examining the current guidelines of world
industry associations, the monograph looks at global environmental
management, environmentally sound production and consumption patterns,
risks and hazards minimization, and full cost accounting. The review
states that the commitments to self-regulation that were made at the Earth
Summit in Rio in 1992 have been strengthened by major industry
associations in some but not all areas. Increased interest in
environmental reporting and in broadening stakeholder communication has
been seen in the extractive industry sectors. In contrast, other areas,
such as those relating to phase-out of hazardous waste and full cost
accounting, have received few policy commitments. The report is available
at:
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/iteipc20033_en.pdf
ORGANIC FRUIT AND VEGETABLES FROM THE
TROPICS: MARKET, CERTIFICATION AND PRODUCTION INFORMATION FOR PRODUCERS
AND INTERNATIONAL TRADING COMPANIES
(UNCTAD, October 2003) This new
publication by UNCTAD considers how developing countries can enhance their
production and export of organic products. The export value for organic
food in 2000 was approximately US$20 billion, and the market is expected
to increase by 10-30% over the coming decade. UNCTAD notes the heavy
restrictions faced by developing countries in entering the organic
products market, highlighting the challenges in meeting the sanitary,
phytosanitary and technical requirements of importing countries. The guide
recommends implementing food quality and safety programmes, increasing
consumer confidence and conforming to regulations of importing countries,
and contains information on market potential and conditions for access to
European, American and Japanese markets, details of production and
processing requirements and best management practices, and a list of
contacts in the target markets. More information is available at:
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditccom20032_en.pdf
TRADING IN KNOWLEDGE: DEVELOPMENT
PERSPECTIVES ON TRIPS, TRADE AND SUSTAINABILITY
(Earthscan, September 2003)
Edited by Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Christophe Bellmann and Graham Dutfield,
this 358-page book reveals and clarifies the issues at stake in
intellectual property rights negotiations and treaties, in particular
TRIPS and the ramifications for biotechnology, agriculture, traditional
knowledge and policy responses. More information is available at:
http://www.earthscan.co.uk/asp/bookdetails.asp?key=4020
UNCTAD TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2003
(UNCTAD,
October 2003) In its 2003 report on global economic trends and forecasts,
UNCTAD analyzes the troubled state of the world economy with a focus on
Latin America. The report finds that average growth for all developing
countries was 3.3 percent in 2002 compared to 5 percent attained in the
1990s, and projects that developed economies will repeat the substandard
growth rate of less than 2 percent of the last 2 years. The report
considers trends and prospects of financial flows to developing countries
and transition economies, and of trade flows and balances. It also looks
at capital accumulation, economic growth and structural change, and
industrialization, trade and structural change. The report finds that
despite expansion of domestic demand in developing countries, growth was
hampered by external factors and dependence on foreign capital flows. It
also notes how efforts by poorer countries to reduce the size of the
public sector and substitute state-driven strategies with more
internationally-oriented market models have undermined growth and reduced
the rate of technological progress.
More information.
THE STATE OF TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT LAW 2003: IMPLICATIONS FOR DOHA AND
BEYOND
(IISD and CIEL, 2003) Produced
by IISD and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and
launched at the recent WTO Cancun Ministerial, this book explores four key
issues, tracking their progress from the pre-WTO rulings to the most
recent decisions, examining in each case the environmental implications,
and the implications for the Doha negotiations. The issues, which the
authors find have fundamentally changed over the last decade, are: PPMs
and extraterritoriality; WTO-MEAs; science and precaution; and TRIPS-CBD.
More.
INVESTMENT, DOHA AND THE WTO
(IISD and RIIA, 2003) Launched at the recent WTO Cancun Ministerial, this
paper served as background to the IISD-RIIA Chatham House experts' meeting
on investment, and the subsequent briefings in Geneva and Brussels. The
final version looks at investment agreements – bilateral, regional,
multilateral – and asks if Doha, and the WTO as an institution, can
deliver an agreement. It then asks what an international investment
agreement would look like if it were designed to promote sustainable
development.
More.
THE DOHA ROUND BRIEFING SERIES
(IISD and ICTSD, 2003) This set
of 13 briefings, co-produced between IISD and the International Centre for
Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), was updated for the Fifth WTO
Ministerial Conference held in Cancun. They offer an executive summary of
the key negotiating issues and are written for the non-expert with a
strong interest in trade policy and negotiations. All
issues.
MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS
AND THE WTO
(RIIA, September 2003) Authored by Duncan Brack and Kevin Gray, this new
report outlines why MEAs contain trade measures, and how effective they
have been. The report further analyses potential sources of conflict with
WTO rules and suggests a range of options for resolving the conflict. The
report is available at:
http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/MEAs%20and%20WTO.pdf
DEMANDING
ACTION IN CANCÚN: A CHECKLIST FOR AGRICULTURE, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND TRADE
The Monterrey Bridge Coalition and Future Harvest have created a checklist
of global commitments on trade, agriculture and the environment in advance
of the fifth WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Cancún, Mexico from
10-14 September 2003. These include commitments made at the WTO Doha
Ministerial, the 2003 G-8 Summit, the UN Millennium Summit, the
International Conference on Financing for Development, and the World
Summit on Sustainable Development. The
checklist.
WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT 2003
– FDI POLICIES FOR DEVELOPMENT: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
(UNCTAD,
September 2003) The World Investment Report 2003 focuses on the decline in
foreign direct investment (FDI), which dropped 21 percent in 2002. Earlier
chapters discuss the overall trends in FDI, which by and large have
dropped dramatically, with no rebound expected for 2003. The reasons for
the downturn are addressed from a global perspective as well as by region.
The report considers key issues surrounding national FDI policies and
international investment agreements, with a focus on the rise of such
agreements, the right to regulate, home country measures and corporate
social responsibility. Implicated in the decline of FDI are factors such
as weakening economies, falling stock markets, financial restructuring and
slowing down of privatization. More information is available at:
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/WebFlyer.asp?intItemID=2412&lang=1
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE WTO: ISSUES FOR CANCÚN
(International Development Committee, UK Parliament, 2003)
The report spells out three elements that are required to ensure that the
development round is a success: development-friendly agreements; effective
participation by developing countries; and flexibility for developing
countries within the WTO rules. A copy of the report can be downloaded at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmintdev.htm#reports
THE WORLD COMMODITY SURVEY 2003-2004, THIRD EDITION
(UNCTAD, 2003) The World Commodity Survey examines the
global factors that have had an impact on raw material markets. This
survey is intended especially for policymakers in developing countries who
wish to enhance the operation of the commodities sector. It analyzes the
principal trends in raw materials, the evolution of the oil market, the
role of the state in the present international context and market
instability as new risks emerge. The survey also addresses company
governance through a detailed study of the Enron case. The report can be
obtained from:
http://r0.unctad.org/infocomm/WorldCommSurvey/coverpage.htm
THE SINGAPORE ISSUES AND THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM: THE ROAD
TO CANCUN AND BEYOND
(World Trade Institute, 2003) This book provides a
comprehensive analysis on the proposals relating to each of the Singapore
Issues - investment, competition, government procurement, and trade
facilitation. It also provides recommendations for policymakers in the
run-up to the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancún in September 2003. The
table of contents and the first chapter are available at:
http://www.wti.org/research/MFI%20paper%20Ferrarini%20WTI.pdf, while
the book is accessible through:
http://www.wti.org/index.html?research/publications.htm
WTO DOHA ROUND - TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT BRIEFS
(IISD, 2003) These briefing papers aim to set out what is
at stake in the WTO Doha Round of negotiations in the areas of
international development and environment. There are six briefs in the
series each of which focuses on an issue of particular importance for
sustainable development: non-trade concerns relating to agriculture;
special and differential treatment; trade facilitation; government
procurement; development and agriculture; and investment. The series will
be updated periodically as the negotiations proceed. To obtain a copy of
the briefing series, visit:
http://www.iisd.org/trade/wto/sdc_briefing_may_2003.asp
EAST ASIA INTEGRATES: A TRADE POLICY AGENDA FOR SHARED
GROWTH
(World Bank, 2003) This report emphasizes the advantages of
a regional trade strategy between and within East Asian countries. The
report urges policymakers to broaden their approach beyond the technical
perspective of trade policy to emphasize development outcomes and links to
social stability, in their national development strategies, in their
regional and bilateral agreements, and in their global negotiating
positions. The
report.
THE EU BETWEEN JO BURG FOLLOW-UP AND CANCUN POLITICS: HOW
TO SET THE RIGHT FRAMEWORK FOR INVESTMENT RULES
(Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2003) This is a summary report
of a public hearing held on 6 March, 2003 in Brussels, Belgium that
brought together European policymakers and civil society. The hearing
served as an exchange of views on trade policy and sustainable development
in the aftermath of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and in
anticipation of the World Trade Organization's Fifth Ministerial
Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003. To download the
report visit:
http://www.boell.be/web/72_50.htm
BACK TO BASICS: MARKET ACCESS ISSUES IN THE DOHA AGENDA
(UNCTAD, 2003) This study highlights the benefits of tariff elimination in
the allocation of resources, and makes the case that the elimination of
export subsidies, if not accompanied with tariff reduction, can have
negative effects on some regions, notably Africa. The report concludes
that while developing countries as a group potentially have much to gain
from improved access, the extent and distribution of these gains depend a
great deal on the extent to which developing countries participate in the
liberalization process and on the agreed negotiation targets and
modalities. To download the report, visit:
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=3120&intItemID=1397&lang=1
SEARCHING FOR THE HOLY GRAIL? MAKING FDI WORK FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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