WTO/Trade & Environm

Links for this section: at the bottom of the page

The WTO's official role in the relationship between trade and environmental issues is very limited. One needs to distinguish non-binding discussions from binding negotiations. The WTO is presently looking at the compatibility between precise and compulsory trade measures (so-called Specific Trade Obligations or STOs) which are contained in some of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and its own trade agreements. Environmental trade restrictions have been discussed since 1995 at the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE), and the Doha Declaration in Paragraph 31(i) opens now for the first time the door for more formal negotiations on this issue. This section will also look at the role of the UN, especially the UN Environment Programme UNEP and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD, and of specialized international environmental NGOs, in the promotion of international environmental governance.

The WTO Web site offers (also in French) all the WTO legal texts and an enormous wealth of other official documents as well as background and analytical information supplied by the secretariat. It is very well structured but may require some familiarizing. Depending on your browser, it is necessary sometimes to leave the EcoLomics International links and browse directly on the WTO site -- the following selection of pointers is simply intended to facilitate the search of this very large site.

	Overview: a navigational guide The WTO Agreements cover goods, services and intellectual property. They spell out the principles of liberalization, and the permitted exceptions. They include individual countries’ commitments to lower customs tariffs and other trade barriers, and to open and keep open services markets. They set procedures for settling disputes. They prescribe special treatment for developing countries. They require governments to make their trade policies transparent by notifying the WTO about laws in force and measures adopted, and through regular reports by the secretariat on countries’ trade policies. Going directly to http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/tif_e.htm provides a practical 'Explorer type' guide to the comprehensive megastructure in the left column.
	Documents gateway http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/docs_e.htm
	WTO legal texts Most of the WTO agreements are the result of the 1986–94 Uruguay Round negotiations, signed at the Marrakesh ministerial meeting in April 1994. There are about 60 agreements and decisions totalling 550 pages. These agreements represent the foundation of the multilateral trade system
	Official documents This is an overview of the WTO database http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_home.asp?language=1&_=1
	Simple search Document symbols are frequently provided in the footnotes of scientific articles, and they normally allow quick access to the document. It may be necessary to leave this site and try again directly from the WTO site under http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_search.asp?searchmode=simple
	Trade topics This section contains a table of contents of the WTO trade topics.
	Trade and environment
	WTO documents by subject This section allows browsing and searching. It may be necessary to go directly to http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_search.asp?searchmode=advanced
	Dispute settlement gateway
	Dispute rulings, by issue
	Dispute rulings, by country
	Resources This ‘RESOURCES’ page takes you to statistics, research, publications and other services offered by the WTO. http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/res_e.htm WTO online bookshop This is the most complete source of information about WTO publications. Many publications can be downloaded free of charge even if the paper version is not free. You will find a link entitled “Download for free” on these publications. https://secure.vtx.ch/shop/boutiques/wto_index_boutique.html WTO Analytical Index — Guide to WTO Law and Practice The WTO Analytical Index is the authoritative guide to the interpretation and application of findings and decisions of WTO panels, the WTO Appellate Body and other WTO bodies. http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/analytic_index_e/analytic_index_e.htm

Links

Related Blogs and other Information by law professors

http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/

http://www.law.duke.edu/fac/pauwelyn/

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Washington DC and Geneva

http://www.ciel.org/

Center for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), Montréal

http://www.cisdl.org

Chatham House / Royal Institute of International Affairs,

Sustainable Development Programme / Environment, London

http://www.riia.org/index.php?id=176

Concerted Action on Trade and Environment (CAT&E),

primarily Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris

http://www.cat-e.org/

Ecologic - Institute for International and European Environmental Policy,

Berlin and Brussels

http://www.ecologic.de/

EcoLomics International, Geneva

http://www.ecolomics-international.org

Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD), London

http://www.field.org.uk/about_overview.php

Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI), Paris

http://www.iddri.org/iddri/

Institute for Environmental Studies, Amsterdam (IVM)

http://www.ivm.falw.vu.nl/home/index.cfm

International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva

http://www.ictsd.org/

Free electronic suscriptions:

Bridges Weekly
Bridges Trade BioRes

Bridges Monthly: on the Web and in Print
Authoritative information on trade and sustainable development

L'édition française avec Enda-Tiers monde: Passerelles

http://www.ictsd.org/africodev/edition/passerelle/passarc.htm

International Environmental Law Research Center, Geneva, Nairobi and New Delhi

http://www.ielrc.org/

International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London

http://www.iied.org/

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD),

Winnipeg, Ottawa, New York and Geneva

http://www.iisd.org/
http://www.iisd.ca/

Free electronic subscription:

Linkages

Environmental Negotiations Bulletin

In depth daily coverage of the major environmental

multilateral negotiations

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Glans/Geneva

http://www.iucn.org/

OECD

Environment and Trade Section

http://www.oecd.org/topic/0,2686,en_2649_34183_1_1_1_1_37431,00.html

Ruddyconsult, St. Gallen, Switzerland

http://www.citeulike.org/user/ruddyconsult

South Centre, Geneva

Free electronic subscription

http://www.southcentre.org/

Trade-Environment.org (part of ICTSD), Geneva

http://www.trade-environment.org/

UNCTAD

Trade and Environment Review

Volume 2003

http://www.unctad.org/templates/webflyer.asp?docid=4502&intItemID=2068&lang=1&mode=toc

Volume 2006

http://www.unctad.org/Templates/WebFlyer.asp?intItemID=3725&lang=1

UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity-Building Task Force

http://www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/

UNEP Economics and Trade Branch (ETB)

http://www.unep.ch/etu/etp/index.htm

Unisféra, Centre International Centre, Montréal

http://www.unisfera.org/?ln=1&id_article=77

WTO

http://www.wto.org

	WTO, Trade and Environment Division http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e/envir_e.htm
	WTO Analytical Index — Guide to WTO Law and Practice http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/analytic_index_e/analytic_index_e.htm
	WTO Documents Online http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_home.asp?language=1&_=1

WWF - The Conservation Organization

http://www.panda.org/