TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2006. By the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2006. This year’s Trade and Development Report offers relevant ideas and general principles for designing macroeconomic, sectoral and trade policies that can help developing countries to succeed in today´s global economic environment. Particular attention is given to policies that support the creative forces of markets and the entrepreneurial dimension of investment. The Report also argues that a global partnership for development will be incomplete without and effective system of global economic governance. Such a system should take into account the specific needs of developing countries. At the same time it should ensure the right balance between sovereignty in national economic policy-making on the one hand, and multilateral disciplines and collective governance on the other. To access this report visit http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=7183&intItemID=2068&lang=1&mode=downloads.
ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INVESTMENT PROVISIONS IN REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS. By Molly Lesher and Sébastien Miroudot. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 11 July 2006. This paper presents an index of the extensiveness of investment provisions in Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs), which is then used in a gravity model of trade and investment. This is the first comprehensive attempt to quantify the depth of investment liberalisation — of goods and services — in RTAs. The results indicate that investment provisions are positively associated with trade and investment flows. To access this report visit: http://appli1.oecd.org/olis/2005doc.nsf/linkto/td-tc-wp(2005)40-final.
BUSINESS IN THE WORLD OF WATER: WBCSD WATER SCENARIOS TO 2025. By the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), 10 August 2006. The ‘H2O Scenarios’ offer three stories about the role of business in relation to the growing issue of water in the world. These stories do not try to cover everything but attempt to bring to life a limited number of alternative future environments that will challenge our economic viability, social legitimacy and global fitness in the marketplace. To access this report visit: http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/euNlZxRtjX2BeJ29WTED/h20-scenarios.pdf.