If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the BRIDGES staff to Hugo Cameron, hcameron@ictsd.ch. Submissions of publications to ICTSD’s documentation centre would also be welcome (contact Matteo Rizzolli, mrizzolli@ictsd.ch).
ASSESSING REGIONAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS: ARE SOUTH-SOUTH RTAs MORE TRADE DIVERTING? By Lucian Cernat, published by UNCTAD, December 2001. The paper estimates for a number of regional trade arrangements (RTAs) among developing countries the gross trade creation and diversion effects resulting from RTA formation. This paper brings evidence in favour of the idea that South-South RTAs, and African RTAs in particular, are not more trade diverting than other RTAs. This evidence suggests that increased trade with both regional partners and third countries in the case of South-South RTAs might be explained by the removal of "invisible" trade barriers as a result of trade facilitation measures favoured by RTA formation. For further information contact Ms. Jenifer Tacardon, Trade Analysis Branch, UNCTAD, Palais des Nations, CH - 1211 Geneva, tel: (+41-22) 907-4644, fax: 907-0044, email: jenifer.tacardon@unctad.org. To order, email publications@un.org.
"Rethinking WTO Trade Sanctions," in AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, VOL. 95 October 2001 NO. 4, pp. 792-833. By Steve Charnovitz. In case of noncompliance with a decision under the WTO dispute settlement system, the complaining government may be authorised to impose trade sanctions. Such sanctions suffer from numerous disadvantages, says Charnovitz, not the least being that they impede trade. This article argues that WTO dispute settlement might experiment with more nuanced responses to noncompliance that, for example, seek to influence public opinion in the target state.
"Sustainable Energy For Sustainable Development," in THE COURIER: the magazine of ACP-EU development cooperation, Nov/Dec 2001. By Philip Mann. This article suggests that energy services play a fundamental role in human development, and as such, recent international activities have heightened the profile of energy. Throughout the article, Mann highlights linkages between energy and other sectors such as poverty, gender, health, trade, rural development, transport, and the environment. For further information, visit http://europa.eu.int/comm./development/publicat/courier.
"Information Technologies To Serve The Poor," in DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION, Jan/Feb 2002. By Georg Caspary. Modern technologies hold great promise for development. However, if they are to benefit the poor, they must be made accessible in all regions of the world, and to all sections of society. This article demonstrates numerous models of affordable access to information technology that have been tried in developing countries. For further information, contact D+C, P.O. Box, D- 60268 Frankfurt (Frankenallee 71-81), Germany, Tel: (+49 69) 7501-4366, fax: 7501-4855, email: HDBrauer@t-online.de.
ECOLOGY AND GENETICS: AN ESSAY ON THE NATURE OF LIFE AND THE PROBLEM OF GENETIC ENGINEERING. By Arjun Makhijani, published by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, 2001. The central thesis of this book is that the genetic structures of living beings are internal biological expressions of the ecosystems they need to survive. Inter- species genetic engineering creates new types of living beings, which could not arise naturally and which are being introduced without a sound understanding of their ecological impacts. Price: $US7.00 including postage and handling. To order the report, send a check for the appropriate amount, made out to IEER, a letter clearly stating the quantities and titles you would like. All prices include shipping and handling. Mail to: IEER, 6935 Laurel Ave. Suite 204, Takoma Park, MD 20912, USA.
E-Resources
WTO GATEWAY TO INFORMATION ON THE AGENDA SET BY THE DOHA MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE. Temporarily only in English, the WTO’s site section provides official texts from the Doha Ministerial Conference together with explanations. Available at: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/dohaagenda_e.htm.
A NEVER-ENDING NEGOTIATION. By E. Gudynas. An evaluation of the WTO Doha Round After a Latin American Perspective. In this article, emphasis is given to the impact of the Doha agreement on agriculture and food trade, the agenda of the upcoming negotiations, and its relationships with the US proposal for a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Available at CLAES’ new web site on Globalization, Development and Civil Society in Latinamerica: http://www.globalizacion.org. This article, as other notes and reports on the web site on globalisation, is only in Spanish and Portuguese. Also available at the web site is an option to subscribe to Globalizacion America Latina, a free elecronic newsletter.