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This 2001 research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF examines the legal and practical tensions between Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). It analyzes how WTO rules on trade in goods, services, and intellectual property can conflict with environmental objectives, such as the precautionary principle and biodiversity conservation. The paper argues for a legal clarification of the MEA-WTO relationship to ensure that trade rules do not undermine environmental governance and proposes practical steps for policy coherence, including sustainability assessments and enhanced inter-ministerial cooperation.

This document outlines the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the External Review Committee (ERC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). Prepared by a Working Group in June 2001, the ToR establishes the mandate, membership, and focus for an external evaluation of the IAI's institutional and programmatic development to provide a "compass" for the institute's next decade.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) issued general guidelines for Phase II of its Science Grant Program (SGP-II). This open-call program provides one-time awards of up to US$ 30,000 to support research networks and activities across the Americas that address regional global change issues, with a specific priority on the human dimensions and policy applications of the IAI Science Agenda.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the review of Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS Agreement. It argues that strong intellectual property (IP) protections over life-forms may hinder development in developing countries by restricting innovation, increasing market concentration, and conflicting with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

This commemorative report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), published in June 2001, celebrates its 30th anniversary by documenting community-led sustainability projects across its global network of 66 independent groups. The document highlights local initiatives in forest preservation, organic food systems, biodiversity conservation, climate action, and resistance to neoliberal economic globalization.

This joint discussion paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF International examines the tensions between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It analyzes how intellectual property rights (IPRs) can hinder the CBD's goals regarding benefit sharing, traditional knowledge, and technology transfer, and provides a set of international and national recommendations to harmonize these legal frameworks.

This report, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute in November 2000, analyzes the management system of protected areas in Estonia. It evaluates administrative performance, financial resources, and management effectiveness, while comparing the Estonian system with Finnish practices and IUCN standards. The document identifies systemic inefficiencies, funding disparities, and the need for a more unified regional management structure to support the development of the Natura 2000 network.

This IISD briefing note analyzes the results of the negotiations for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which concluded in Montreal in January 2000. The document examines the Protocol's scope, its operationalization of the precautionary principle, its complex relationship with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and the positions of the five major negotiating blocs.

The Community Drought Mitigation Project (CDMP), implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Environment and Development Activities (ENDA-Zimbabwe) between 1996 and 1999, aimed to enhance sustainable livelihoods in the drought-prone areas of Mudzi and Gwanda, Zimbabwe. Using a sustainable livelihoods framework, the project integrated local adaptive strategies with appropriate technologies and policy analysis to reduce community vulnerability to drought.

This report documents the proceedings of the Regional Forum on Trade and Environment held in San Salvador from July 7 to 10, 1999. Organized by SG-SICA, CCAD, IISD, IDRC, and IUCN, the forum aimed to establish a regional agenda for Central America to integrate environmental sustainability into global and regional trade negotiations, particularly within the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

A statement by Amory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins critiquing the shift from traditional botany to 'genetic engineering' (transgenics), arguing that the latter prioritizes economic profit and patentability over ecological safety and biological wisdom.

This 1999 guide by the Center for International Environmental Law provides activists with legal arguments to defend mandatory genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling against challenges from the World Trade Organization (WTO). It analyzes the application of the TBT and SPS Agreements, arguing that labeling is consistent with trade rules when based on the consumer's right to know and non-food-safety considerations.

This amicus brief, submitted by the Center for International Environmental Law and other organizations, argues that United States import prohibitions on shrimp harvested without turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are consistent with WTO rules. The brief contends that these measures are justified under GATT Article XX as necessary for the conservation of endangered sea turtles, a goal supported by international environmental law and the principles of sustainable development.

The draft report of the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held June 4-5, 1998, in Arlington, Virginia, details the approval of a revised science agenda, budget authorizations, the re-election of Director Armando Rabuffetti, and the establishment of a capacity-building program for under-represented countries.

This 1997 case study by the World Resources Institute examines the history and strategic evolution of the Weyerhaeuser Company, focusing on its transition from a traditional timber harvester to a leader in High Yield Forestry (HYF) and sustainable forest stewardship.

The research paper analyzes the Convention on Biological Diversity as a pioneering legal instrument that integrates environmental goals with economic sectors, specifically regarding the trade of genetic resources and the protection of indigenous knowledge.

The 'General Policy Regarding Terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas', published on 9 May 1994 under the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989, establishes a six-category classification system for protected areas in South Africa. This system shifts away from treating all protected areas as 'sacrosanct wildlife sanctuaries' to incorporate the needs of local communities and align with international trends in nature conservation management.

The General Policy in terms of the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989 is a South African government statement establishing a framework for environmental management. It defines the principles of sustainable development, assigns accountability to government institutions, and outlines specific policy goals across sectors including land use, pollution control, nature conservation, and energy.

This case study examines Platanera Rio Sixaola, S.A., a small independent banana plantation in Costa Rica founded by Volker Ribniger. Despite becoming the first banana plantation in the world to earn Eco-OK certification from the Rainforest Alliance, the company faced significant financial challenges in 1994, with production costs exceeding revenues. The document details the environmental impacts of traditional banana monoculture, the specific sustainable practices implemented by Platanera Rio Sixaola, and the market pressures exerted by the 'Big Three' multinationals and European Community import quotas.

The 1992 Agreement Establishing the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research creates a regional network of cooperating research entities dedicated to studying the natural and human-induced alterations of the Earth system. The Institute focuses on interdisciplinary research, the exchange of scientific data, and providing information to governments to support public policy regarding global change.