ICTSD Resources
BRIDGES DAILY UPDATES on the negotiations at the fifth WTO Ministerial in Cancun will be produced in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese and Russian from 9 to 14 September 2003. They will be sent to BRIDGES Weekly readers, and also be accessible at http://www.ictsd.org/ministerial.
CANCUN WEBPAGE. ICTSD maintains information online on the latest news, resources, events and logistical information around the 10-14 September meeting. The page includes relevant WTO documents, civil society documents, as well as other documents. To access the information, visit http://www.ictsd.org/ministerial/index.htm or http://www.ictsd.org/ministerial/cancun/documents_and_links.htm.
BRIDGES MONTHLY — CANCUN ISSUE. The latest issue of BRIDGES Monthly is now available at http://www.ictsd.org/monthly/index.htm.
DOHA ROUND BRIEFING SERIES — CANCUN UPDATE, AUGUST 2003. The Doha Round Briefing Series is published by the ICTSD in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The briefings serve as a guide to the multilateral WTO negotiations under the Doha Round. Thirteen "executive summaries" offer a progress report on the issues under negotiation. They are written for the non-expert with a strong interest in trade policy and negotiations. The first volume, published in February 2003, have been updated with a second volume for the fifth WTO Ministerial in Cancun, Mexico from 10-14 September. The second volume of each briefing includes a section on the prospects for Cancun. To access the briefings, visit http://www.ictsd.org/pubs/dohabriefings/index.htm.
Other Resources
BUSINESS RULES: WHO PAYS THE PRICE? HOW CORPORATE INFLUENCE IN THE WTO IMPACTS PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Friends of the Earth International and Corporate Europe Observatory, August 2003. This report reveals the key role transnational corporations play in shaping the policy of the WTO. Through powerful lobby groups, these corporations are steering decisions in powerful countries in the WTO: the US, the European Union, and Japan. The report comprises eight case studies highlighting the environmental and social impacts of the corporations on areas such as food, health and environmental standards, access to essential medicines, control over foreign investment and access to essential services. The English version is available at http://www.foei.org/publications/trade/businessrules.pdf. The Spanish version is available at http://www.foei.org/esp/publications/trade/businessrulesesp.pdf.
GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS 2004 — REALISING THE DEVELOPMENT PROMISE OF THE DOHA AGENDA. World Bank, August 2003. This annual report analyses the most critical multilateral trade issues and suggests policy options to raise living standards in developing countries and reduce global poverty. The report covers contemporary topics such as the gains from cutting agricultural subsidies and the consequences of the agreement on generic drug importation. In addition, the report forecasts trade as well as GNP growth. For more information and to view the report, see http://www.worldbank.org/prospects/gep2004/.
TRADE MEASURES, WTO, AND CLIMATE COMPLIANCE: THE INTERPLAY OF INTERNATIONAL REGIMES. By the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. This report examines how the potential of trade measures to induce more climate- friendly policies is affected by three aspects of interplay between the global trade rules and the Kyoto climate regime: The normative compatibility of trade-related rules of the two regimes, the participatory interplay of the two regimes, and the Millennium Round of trade negotiations. For further information, see: http://www.fni.no/publ/climate.html.
THE EVOLUTION OF ECOTOURISM IN EAST AFRICA: FROM AN IDEA TO AN INDUSTRY. By John Watkin (IIED, August 2003). This report is based on the proceedings of the East Africa Regional Conference on Ecotourism, held in March 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya and organised by the African Conservation Centre. The conference explored ways to ensure that all parties involved in an ecotourism enterprise benefit, and concluded that, through communication, sensitivity, transparency and realism, such an enterprise can become sustainable. Ecotourism can also prevent environmental destruction and, when managed correctly, promote community development and empowerment. The report can be viewed online at http://www.iied.org/docs/blg/ecotour_eafrica.pdf.
THE 2030 SPIKE: COUNTDOWN TO GLOBAL CATASTROPHE. By Colin Mason (Earthscan, August 2003). This book forecasts a possible new Dark Age in the 2030 decade. The author states that the convergence of depleted fuel supplies, massive population growth, poverty, global climate change, famine, growing water shortages, and international lawlessness may have potentially catastrophic consequences. The author proposes 100 priorities for immediate action in order to alter the trajectory of humanity away from catastrophe. For further information see http://www.earthscan.co.uk/asp/bookdetails.asp?key=4005.
INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE DURING THE TRANSITION. Edited by Vladimir Mikhalev (Palgrave McMillan, July 2003). The book studies and compares emerging social structures in transitional societies and discusses the life of the large majority of workers (farmers and state- sector employees as well as the bottom of socially deprived and marginalised people). The contributors look into causes of high inequality and poverty in Russia and other CIS countries, as well as more equal income distribution and higher levels of social welfare in Central Europe. For further information see http://www.palgrave.com/catalogue/catalogue.asp? Title_Id=140390801X#Description.