NGO INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: A LEGAL ANALYSIS. By Sergey Ripinsky and Peter Van den Bossche. British Institute of International and Comparative Law, December,2007. In light of the growing influence of NGOs in international decision-making, this book investigates the arrangements for NGO involvement in the activities of a range of international institutions, and examines and compares relevant rules and practices. The analysis focuses in particular on the legal basis for NGO involvement, forms of involvement, NGO participatory rights, applicable accreditation criteria and procedures, and rules on subsequent monitoring of accredited NGOs. International institutions are each covered in separate chapters, and the final chapter provides a comparative analysis of the examined systems. The book can be purchased online at http://www.biicl.org/publications/view/-/id/119/.
WHO SHOULD BEAR THE TRIPS ENFORCEMENT COST? Policy Brief, South Centre, January 2008. By analyzing from both economic and legal perspectives, this policy brief concludes that the TRIPS enforcement cost shall be borne by private parties as IPR is private right in nature, and enforcement activities ought to be planned on a cost-benefit basis from a socially optimal perspective. The brief focuses in particular on developing countries, arguing that most of the financial benefits of enforcement policies go directly to foreign companies, rather than trickling down into the developing economy. It argues that developing countries should decline to bear the cost of any enforcement that goes beyond TRIPS requirements. The brief can be found online at http://www.southcentre.org/info/policybrief/12TRIPS_Enforcement_Cost.pdf.
BIOFUELS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: WILL THE EU HELP OR HINDER? Overseas Development Institute Briefing Paper, January 2008. Developing countries are heavily affected by global biofuels policies, both as potential producers (for their own use or export) and as consumers (of crops displaced by biofuels and of energy). Because Europe is a major producer of biofuels, its policies can have a significant effect on them. This brief argues that development should be enhanced by the introduction of EU Biofuels. It can be found online at http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp32-jan08-biofuels.pdf
TRADE RELATED MEASURES AND MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENT AGREEMENTS. Economics and Trade Branch, United Nations Environment Programme, 2007. This paper aims to contribute to current negotiations in the WTO by analyzing multilateral environment agreement (MEA) trade related measures in the context of the overall objective of the MEAs The paper examines the MEA connections between trade and the environment, whether through enforcement and compliance, through regulating trade in endangered plants or animals, or through attempts to ‘level the playing field’ in international trade. Finally, the paper suggests a way to classify different trade-related measures in the context of the particular MEA with which the measure aligns. It can be found online at http://www.unep.ch/etb/areas/pdf/MEA%20Papers/TradeRelated_MeasuresPaper.pdf.