The Gap between Commitments and Implementation: Assessing the Compliance by Annex I Parties with their Commitments under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol.
This research paper looks at the extent of compliance by developed countries listed in Annex I of the UNFCCC of their obligations under the UNFCCC to undertake mitigation and to provide financing, technology, and capacity building to developing countries. (more…)
Carbon-Based Competitiveness, Trade and Climate Change: Perspectives of Developing Countries.
This paper analyses a number of issues raised by the increasing links between the global trade and climate agendas such as tariff liberalisation on green technologies, the use of low carbon standards, intellectual property rights and border adjustment measures. The paper examines these issues from the perspectives of developing countries focusing on the political and economic considerations that underlie them. (more…)
The Draft GATS Domestic Regulation Disciplines – Potential Conflicts With Developing Country Regulations.
This Analytical Note updates a 2006 South Centre Analytical Note (SC/AN/TDP/SV/11) ‘The Development Dimension of the GATS Domestic Regulation Negotiations’, which discusses the implications of the GATS Article VI: 4 disciplines on domestic regulation for developing countries. (more…)
The gap between commitments and implementation: Assesing the compliance by Annex I parties with their commitments under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol.
This research paper looks at the extent of compliance by developed countries listed in Annex I of the UNFCCC of their obligations under the UNFCCC to undertake mitigation and to provide financing, technology, and capacity building to developing countries. (more…)
International Trade and Climate Change.
The Waxman – Markey bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives envisages certain measures to restrict carbon dioxide emissions and requires the president to levy a charge on imports of carbon-intensive products from countries that do not adopt similar climate change measures. U.S. importers would have to buy carbon “allowances” for such products, purportedly for maintaining a level playing ground between domestic and overseas producers. (more…)
Accelerating climate-relevant technology innovation and transfer to developing countries: using TRIPs flexibilities under the UNFCCC.
This Analytical Note examines flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and possible technology transfer approaches under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (more…)
The Role of the United Nations in Global Economic Governance
Global economic policy issues are often addressed by specialized multilateral agencies in a fragmented, incoherent and inconsistent manner and often with failures in relation to certain areas of global policy – particularly in trade and finance – that have broader implications for the multilateral system as a whole. (more…)
The ACRE Program – A Volatile New Source of U.S. Amber Box Spending.
WTO member countries viewed the 2007-08 farm policy debate as a measure of U.S. seriousness in getting a Doha Round deal. Congress brushed aside these objections and passed a Farm Bill that maintains high levels of subsidies for larger-scale farm operations. (more…)
Policy Response to the Global Financial Crisis: Key Issues for Developing Countries.
This new paper, authored by the Centre’s Special Economic Advisor, Dr Yilmaz Akyuz, deals with the global financial crisis and developing countries. The first part is on what is needed to support the required policy response in developing countries. The second part is on the required reform to the international financial architecture. A summary of policy conclusions and proposals is at the end. (more…)
Developing Biotechnology Innovations Through Traditional Knowledge.
This paper suggests that by using biotechnology, traditional knowledge holders may obtain economic gain, through innovation and research and development based on the traditional knowledge. It also explores what are the obstacles in the development of biotechnology-based traditional knowledge innovation. (more…)
Policy Space for Domestic Public Interest Measures Under TRIPS.
This paper examines the scope of policy space available to integrate economic, social and environmental concerns under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). (more…)
IPR Misuse: The Core Issue in Standards and Patents.
Standards cover nearly all fields, including pharmaceuticals, food production, the environment, energy, information and telecommunications. Problems arise when IPRs are included in standards and a balance cannot be struck between the private interests of IPR owners and the integrity of standardization. (more…)
