Global research partnerships for sustainable trade policy

The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN), coordinated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development since 1998, is a global collaboration of research institutions across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It focuses on strengthening research capacity in developing countries to generate policy analysis on the impacts of trade and investment on sustainable development. The TKN operates through four pillars: strengthening Southern research capacity, generating innovative policy research, connecting with policy-makers, and building a global research network. Its approach is 'Southern-driven,' ensuring research is executed within the local contexts where it is applied. Recent projects have addressed regional trade integration, commodity price volatility, food security in Africa linked to climate change and land degradation, and foreign direct investment incentives in Southeast Asia. Since 1998, the TKN has partnered with over 35 institutions in 28 countries and published more than 80 reports.

• The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN) is structured around four primary pillars: developing research and communication capacity in the developing world, facilitating cross-regional collaborative research, implementing strategies to influence policy-makers, and establishing global networks of individuals and organizations focused on trade, investment, and sustainable development.
• The TKN employs a 'Southern-driven' methodology, based on the belief that sustainable trade and investment policies require intimate local knowledge. Consequently, research is developed and executed within the specific countries and regions where it is applied, with regional coordinators managing their own agendas.
• The network has conducted diverse research projects, including a multi-continent study on the impact of regional trade agreements on political stability, case studies on managing volatile commodity prices for the 2.5 billion people reliant on primary commodities, and an investigation into the costs and benefits of investment incentives in Southeast Asia.
• TKN research has specifically addressed food security challenges in Africa, noting that the combination of climate change, land degradation, falling crop yields, and population growth creates significant threats to African agriculture.
• Since its inception in 1998, the TKN has collaborated with more than 35 institutions across 28 countries and produced over 80 reports in nine different languages.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Global research partnerships for sustainable trade policy. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_tkn_2008.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Global research partnerships for sustainable trade policy. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_tkn_2008.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Global research partnerships for sustainable trade policy |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_tkn_2008.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndglobal, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Global research partnerships for sustainable trade policy}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_tkn_2008.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }