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This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the debate within the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding trade facilitation (TF). It explores the tension between developed countries and business groups seeking legally binding rules to reduce border delays and costs, and developing countries concerned about the administrative burdens, potential for dispute resolution penalties, and the impact on national standards and environmental agreements.

This briefing paper examines the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) within the WTO framework, focusing on its structure, the challenges of reaching consensus, and its implications for sustainable development and developing countries.

This report by Jenny Clover for the Institute for Security Studies examines the debate over Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Africa, specifically within the context of a food crisis in Southern Africa in 2002. The author argues that while GM technology offers potential productive gains, it cannot solve hunger on its own because food security is a complex issue involving economic, social, and political factors. The document highlights the tension between immediate humanitarian needs for food aid and long-term concerns regarding biodiversity, multinational corporate control of seeds, and trade restrictions, particularly with the European Union.

Environmental organizations petitioned U.S. Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick on September 19, 2002, regarding the General Treatment provision in the upcoming United States-Chile free trade agreement. The petitioners argue that the current administration's process lacks transparency and risks granting foreign investors greater substantive rights than U.S. investors, contrary to the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002.

This report by Friends of the Earth International examines the conflict between corporate-led economic models and the conservation of forest biodiversity. Through case studies in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, it argues that neoliberal policies, transnational investments, and flawed international definitions of 'forests' drive deforestation and displace indigenous and local communities, who act as the primary defenders of biodiversity.

This research paper examines agri-environmental and rural development programs within the WTO framework, specifically focusing on the 'Green Box' of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). It analyzes the practices of the 'Quad' countries (EU, US, Canada, and Japan) and evaluates how the Doha Round negotiations might impact the ability of developing countries to implement similar sustainable agriculture policies.

This briefing paper, written by Aaron Cosbey of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's (CEC) Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC), analyzes the environmental implications of NAFTA's Chapter 11. The author argues that the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, originally designed for commercial protection, has become a tool for challenging non-commercial public interest regulations, creating risks for national environmental management.

This research paper, prepared for a Royal Institute of International Affairs conference, examines the implications of the Doha Ministerial Declaration's commitment to sustainable development. The author argues that achieving this objective requires a fundamental shift in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) institutional structure, moving beyond narrow commercial goals toward integrated impact assessments and increased transparency.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides preliminary comments on the 8 May 2002 draft text regarding the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development for the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). CIEL suggests strengthening the framework by integrating human rights, improving coherence between economic and environmental governance, and enhancing the status of UN environmental bodies.

This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides preliminary comments and proposed textual amendments to the Chairman's Paper dated 9 May 2002 for the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. CIEL argues that while the draft has improved, it still lacks critical protections for human rights, community-based property rights, and rigorous regulation of biotechnology, and it fails to sufficiently address the risks associated with intellectual property rights and the liberalization of trade in services.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines how the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations following the 2001 Doha Ministerial Conference may undermine the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The document highlights conflicts between trade liberalization and biodiversity protection, specifically regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), agricultural subsidies, and intellectual property rights.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the debate over U.S. air conditioner efficiency standards, specifically comparing the SEER 13 standard established by the Clinton Administration with a proposed rollback to SEER 12 by the Bush Administration. It details the projected energy savings, emission reductions, and economic impacts associated with both standards.

This research paper examines the early implementation of decentralization laws in Indonesia, specifically Law No. 22/1999 and Law 25/1999, and their impact on the forestry sector. It analyzes how the shift of power from the central government to districts has led to the emergence of 'district timber regimes' focused on revenue generation, often at the expense of forest conservation and sustainable management.

This case study examines the process of decentralization in Nicaragua, focusing on the transfer of natural resource management responsibilities to municipal governments. It highlights a significant gap between legal attributions and the actual transfer of power and funding from the central government, noting that while grassroots support for local autonomy is high, municipal capacity remains low and central control over revenue-generating resources persists.

This research paper examines the impact of post-socialist transition and decentralization on rural livelihoods and pasture land management in Mongolia during the 1990s. It argues that while formal political decentralization has occurred, a lack of administrative and fiscal autonomy has created an 'institutional vacuum' or 'de facto' decentralization. This environment, characterized by rising social inequality and a decline in pastoral mobility, poses significant threats to environmental sustainability and increases the vulnerability of poor herders to natural hazards.

This research paper examines the tension between centralism and decentralization in Mexico, focusing on the state of Oaxaca. It discusses how the diversity of local governments, particularly indigenous municipalities governed by traditional customs, must navigate the pressures of globalization and trade liberalization to achieve sustainable local development.

This research paper by Fernando Melo Farrera, presented at a World Resources Institute conference in 2002, examines the tension between globalization and local diversity in Mexico. It argues that for municipalities to move beyond being mere operators of federal policy and become promoters of sustainable local development, Mexico must transition from a history of presidential centralism toward genuine decentralization and federalism that respects local autonomy and indigenous governance systems.

This report analyzes the compliance system of the Kyoto Protocol, describing it as more robust than typical multilateral environmental agreements due to its quasi-judicial enforcement mechanisms and specific penalties for developed nations that fail to meet emissions targets.

This research paper examines the impact of decentralization reforms on environmental accountability and natural resource management in Uganda. It argues that while the legal framework suggests a devolution of power to local governments, actual decision-making authority over protected forests and wildlife remains centralized within line ministries. The author contends that 'collaborative management' schemes are largely advisory and serve to legitimate central government policies rather than empower local citizens, leading to social inequalities and unsustainable environmental outcomes.

This research paper examines the impact of decentralization on forest management in the lowlands of Bolivia, focusing on the relationship between municipal governments and local forest users. It analyzes how policy reforms since the mid-1980s, including the Popular Participation Law of 1994 and the Forestry Law of 1996, transferred powers to local authorities. The author finds that while decentralization has increased the bargaining power of marginalized groups like indigenous people and small-scale timber producers, the actual outcomes for forest conservation and social equity are mixed due to bureaucratic hurdles, limited municipal budgets, and the continued influence of local elites.