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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 Marc Galvin, mgalvin@ictsd.ch).
REGULATING ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING: BASIC ISSUES, LEGAL INSTRUMENTS, POLICY PROPOSALS. By Achim Seiler, Social Science Research Center (Wissenschaftszentrum für Sozialforschung) Berlin and Graham Dutfield, Oxford University, 2001. The study was commissioned by the Federal Republic of Germany in preparation for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing in Bonn, October 2001. For further information contact: Achim Seiler: Seiler@medea.wz-berlin.de or Graham Dutfield: wgtrr.ocees@mansfield.oxford.ac.uk.
GLOBAL AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. Published by the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, July 2001. The report from IIASA assesses future food production capabilities under different climate change scenarios for all countries of the world. The report identifies the hot spots where productivity is most likely to be affected by projected climate change. According to the paper, the world’s 40 poorest nations are likely to be hardest hit, with more than half of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Bangladesh and Brazil particularly vulnerable, whereas most developed nations are likely to experience moderate to large increases in crop productivity. The paper is available at: http://www.cluster46.com/igbpmeeting/files/Mahendra_Shah.pdf. For further information contact: susannah@igbp.kva.se; Clare.Bradshaw@igbp.kva.se or Paola.Fastmark@igbp.kva.se; tel: (+46-8) 6739-556/593; fax: 1664-05; mobile: (+46-708) 346-463.
GATS AND E-COMMERCE: THE SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS IN THE WTO. Published by the German NGO Forum Environment & Development, Bonn, 2001. The paper begins with a brief look at the WTO and the GATS, focusing on e- commerce and its significance in the current global economy. For further information contact: Forum Environment & Development, Am Michaelshof 8-10, Germany; tel: (+49-228) 35-97-04; fax: (+49-228) 35- 90-96; email: info@forumue.de; Internet: http://www.forum.de.
ECOLOGY AND GENETICS: AN ESSAY ON THE NATURE OF LIFE AND THE PROBLEM OF GENETIC ENGINEERING. By Arjun Makhaijani, IEEP, published by The Apex Press, 2001. The central thesis of this book is that genetic structures of living beings are internal biological expression of the ecosystems they need to survive. Inter-species genetic engineering creates new types of living, which could not arise naturally and which are being introduced without a sound understanding of their ecological impacts. For further information on this publication, contact: Judi Rizzi; tel: (1-914) 271-6500; email, cipany@igc.org.
A NEW DIRECTION IN WORLD TRADE: TOWARDS A WTO ROUND FOR DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRACY AND SUSTAINABILITY. By the Party of European Socialists (PES) Group, April 2001. The Working Group on the WTO of the PES in the European Parliament has led both a debate focused on the themes of the imbalance between rich and poor countries; democracy and transparency; socially and environmentally sustainable development; and the relationship between trade rules and human rights. The paper’s central conclusion concerns the need for a new direction in world trade. The PES Group supports the call for a new trade round as the best opportunity to reshape the trade system. In the view of the PES, a new round can succeed only if the world leaders who gather in Qatar recognise the need for radical change. A copy is available at: http://www.europarl.eu.int/pes/En/Position/WTO/WTO-shortpaper- ENfinal.PDF.
A GUIDE TO EU FUNDING FOR NGOS IN THE CANDIDATE COUNTRIES, SPECIAL EDITION. Published by European Citizens Action Services (ECAS), 2001. The ECAS guide provides an overview of the existing EU funding opportunities for the candidate countries. The aim of ECAS of the publication is to make sure that access to European funding for NGOs in the candidate countries, as well as other geographical areas is facilitated. In fact, this guide makes it possible to understand EU policies, the administration and the management of projects. Moreover, it gives the NGOs information on European projects and programmes with the goal of increasing their access to EU funding. In order to obtain a copy, contact: Ms I. Dambrun, ECAS, Rue de la Concorde 53, B-1050 Brussels, fax. (+32-29) 548-04-99; email: admin@ecas.org.
SPECIAL REPORT NO 3/2001 CONCERNING THE COMMISSION’S MANAGEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES AGREEMENTS TOGETHER WITH THE COMMISSION’S REPLIES. Report from the EC Court of Auditors, June 2001. In this paper, the Court examines the European Commission’s management of the international fisheries agreements, particularly the extent to which their objectives were clearly defined and ultimately achieved. The Court concludes that the Commission still needs to establish both a system enabling an ongoing monitoring and a detailed cost-benefit analysis to be made of the international fisheries agreements. The Court finds a lack of consistency and poor coordination between these international agreements and the structural aspect of the Common Fisheries Policy. It also identifies shortcomings in the implementation and monitoring of the checks made by the Commission and the Member States. The Commission replies in the second part of the paper. A copy is available at: http://www.eca.eu.int/EN/RS/2001/rs03_01en.pdf.
Electronic Resources
FTAA - Free Trade Area of the Americas, Draft Agreement, avaiable at: http://www.ftaa-alca.org/FTAADraft/Eng/draft_e.doc.
DATABASES ON ECO-LABELLING, CERTIFICATION SCHEMES AND OTHER RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES FOR COFFEE, “GREEN” ELECTRICITY, SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND OFFICE PRODUCTS. Published by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC). NACEC has developed a series of online Green Goods and Services Databases for Canada, Mexico and the United States. The databases are intended to serve as a clearinghouse mechanism that provides transparent information on eco-labelling, certification schemes and other relevant environmental guidelines for coffee, “green” electricity, sustainable tourism and office products. The on-line databases are available at: http://www.cec.org/databases.
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