IPC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AGRICULTURAL MODALITIES FOR THE DOHA ROUND. The International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC), 21 January 2003. The IPC has been developing recommendations on continuing trade liberalisation in the Doha Round. The IPC’s recommendations on domestic support, export competition, market access and developing country concerns were discussed at the 29th IPC Plenary Meeting in Ottawa, Canada in May of 2002 and the 30th IPC Plenary Meeting in London, England in November, 2002. To access the recommendations, visit: http://www.agritrade.org/Doha/Modalities.htm.
THE GLOBAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT: POWER WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY? By Hetty Kovach, Caroline Neligan, and Simon Burall. One World Trust (2003). This report compares the degree to which eighteen non- governmental organisations (NGOs), inter-governmental organisations (IGOs), and transnational corporations (TNCs) can be held accountable to their stakeholders (both internal and external). Rankings are based on access to information and member control of governance, with NGOs tending to fare the best with regard to membership control, but not so well with regard to access to information. To access the report, visit: http://www.oneworldtrust.org/Ch99/htmlGAP/report/report.htm.
TRADE AND LABOR STANDARDS: A STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. By Sandra Polaski. Carnegie Endowment (2003). The author argues that current changes in trade relationships provide an important opportunity for developing countries to advance poverty alleviation, better working conditions, and create a more equitable income distribution through linking trade with domestic policies. To view the paper, visit: http://www.ceip.org/files/publications/publicationsmain.asp.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CONFLICT. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, November, 2002. This brochure reviews the results of a 10 June 2002 UN climate change meeting and analyses current knowledge regarding links between climate change and conflict. Crisis management as well as crisis and conflict prevention are given special priority as they lend strength to the argument for a precautionary climate protection policy. The full report is available at: http://www.bmu.de/english/download/b_climges.php.
FARM HOUSEHOLD INCOMES IN OECD COUNTRIES. OECD, January, 2003. This report claims that much of the government support to agriculture does not benefit the farmers who need it most and that such support distorts trade and production. It also shows that most support aids larger farms and that small farm households are being supported to a large degree by non-agricultural revenues. To obtain a copy of the report, contact: Nicole Le Vourch, tel: +33 1 45 24 80 88; email: nicole.levourch@oecd.org.
MULTILATERAL VS. BILATERAL INVESTMENT NEGOTIATIONS – WHERE CAN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MAKE THEMSELVES HEARD? By Hilda Fridh and Olivia Jensen. CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment, 2002. This briefing paper, produced under CUTS ongoing project "Investment for Development", analyses the attitude of developing countries on multilateral and bilateral levels, and it examines the potential benefit of a multilateral instrument. To access the paper, visit: http://www.cuts.org/9-2002.pdf.