Who Should Bear the TRIPS Enforcement Cost?.
Establishing and strengthening the enforcement of intellectual property rights is a costly exercise both in terms of budgetary outlays and the employment of skilled personnel. It is particularly expensive for many developing countries, as economic benefits will go largely to foreign firms over the intermediate term. (more…)
Analysis of the role of the South-South Cooperation to promote governance on intellectual property rights and development.
The international regime on IP rights is currently made up of a patchwork of laws and institutions at the bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels with a growing number of players. The TRIPS Agreement of the WTO forms the core instrument with critical influence on the role of international actors and the scope of national policy making. TRIPS aim at reducing the North-South tension on IP rights protection through a multilateral system as one of its objectives. (more…)
Integrating Development in Climate Change.
Human-induced climate change is now well recognized as a physical and global reality. Global warming associated with climate change has begun to affect global weather patterns, sea levels, snow cover, ice sheets and rainfall. Regional climate patterns shifts are already affecting watersheds and ecosystems all over the world. (more…)
EPA Negotiations in the Pacific Region: Some Issues of Concern.
This Analytical Note explores some of the main challenges related to the EPA negotiations in the Pacific ACP region, particularly with respect to Market Access and regional integration, Agriculture, and trade in Services. (more…)
The Reform of the EU Sugar Sector: Implications for ACP Countries and EPA Negotiations.
This note is to provide comprehensive account of the legal and political background of the current reform of the EU sugar sector and of the implications of the reform and related EU policies for ACP countries. (more…)
Fact Sheet 5 – Demystifying Trade in Services: A Strategic Guide for ACP EPA Negotiators
This Analytical Note is part of a series of Fact Sheets designed to overview and assess the development implications of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which the EU is currently negotiating with 76 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP). This Fact Sheet seeks to increase the understanding of the substantive issues at stake in the negotiations, (more…)
EPA Negotiations in Southern Africa: Some Issues of Concern.
This Analytical Note explores some of the main challenges related to the EPA negotiations in the SADC region, particularly with respect to Market Access and regional integration, Agriculture, and trade in Services. (more…)
Reform of World Bank governance structures.
This South Centre Analytical Note discusses potential governance reforms in the World Bank’s governance structures, with an understanding that some reforms become more or less imperative depending on the direction of the discussions around the long-term strategic direction of the Bank. (more…)
Mandatory Disclosure of the Source and Origin of Biological Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge under the TRIPS Agreement.
The discussion on TRIPS and CBD in the WTO demonstrates the growing convergence on content, scope, relevance and effectiveness of an international mandatory obligation on disclosure of source and country providing biological resources and traditional knowledge. (more…)
South Centre Comments on Draft Modalities for Agriculture.
This note contains comments on the Draft Agriculture modalities submitted by the Chairman of the WTO Committee on Agriculture in Special Session. While the text will be discussed, amended and, if agreed, adopted at a later stage, it is a capital document as it will constitute a yardstick against which positions will be assessed. (more…)
Towards a Digital Agenda for Developing Countries.
The last two decades of the 20th century saw a revolution in the nature of information and the way that it can be created, used and transmitted. Vast opportunities have been opened up. Developing countries, that have insufficient capacity to generate, disseminate and effectively utilize educational information and knowledge, may finally be in a position to accelerate their development. (more…)
Why Inclusion of Services in the EPAS is Problematic: Legal and Development Implications.
Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) are an important instrument in international trade. RTAs create bigger markets through reduction or elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade between members. Traditionally, these Agreements have focused on the liberalization of merchandise trade among members. (more…)
