Trade, Environment and Development

World Trade Law and Renewable Energy: The Case of Non-Tariff Barriers Just Published !
This study was written by Prof. Robert Howse of the University of Michigan Law School, and edited by Mr. Alexey Vikhlyaev of the UNCTAD secretariat. It �q-considers the question of non-tariff barriers and renewable energy from the perspective of the law of the World Trade Organization. The first part of the study examines whether and to what extent, under the law of the WTO government, policies to promote renewable energy may be disciplined as non-tariff barriers. The second part addresses itself to whether and to what extent WTO law could be used to challenge or discipline policies (regulatory barriers) that disadvantage renewable energy.

Working Group Meeting of the UNCTAD, IFOAM and GlobalG.A.P. Secretariats on Reviewing Options to Reduce Costs of Organic and GlobalGAP certification
Working Group on Harmonization and Equivalence for Organic Agriculture in Asia 8 June 2011, Bonn, Germany The meeting will be held from 9:30am to 5pm on 8 June 2011 at the headquarters of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Charles-de-Gaulle Strasse 5, Bonn, Germany. more...
Working Group on Harmonization and Equivalence for Organic Agriculture in Asia
Working Group on Harmonization and Equivalence for Organic Agriculture in Asia 9-10 Dec 2010, Mumbai, India This first meeting of the Working Group brought together key public and private sector actors to facilitate trade in Asian organic agricultural products through south-south cooperation. more...
East Africa Organic Conference 2010
East Africa Organic Conference 2010 2 Dec 2010, Nairobi This was the final event of the UNEP-UNCTAD CBTF project on organic agriculture in East Africa generously supported by the Government of Austria. Participants included key actors from the organic agriculture movements and Governments of the five members of the East African Community (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania) plus Ethiopia and well as members of the international support team including the UNEP-UNCTAD CBTF, ITC. IFOAM, the Government of Austria and African Union Commission. The chair of the organizing committee of the African Organic Conference 2012 in Zambia also was there. The regional conference was organized back-to-back with the first national consultation on the Kenyan organic agriculture policy on 1 December, also supported by the UNEP-UNCTAD CBTF. more...
First National Consultation on Kenyan Organic Agriculture Policy
First National Consultation on Kenyan Organic Agriculture Policy 1 Dec 2010, Nairobi Some 50 key representatives from the Kenyan public and private sector gathered to give comments and guidance on the development of the Kenyan Organic Agriculture Policy. Representatives from six other African countries joined to facilitate south-south cooperation in organic agriculture policy development. The national consultation was organized by the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and the Kenyan Organic Agriculture Movement, with the support of the UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade Environment and Development more...
International Conference & Exhibition on Climate Change, Agriculture and Related Trade Standards
Single-year Expert Meeting on Green and Renewable Technologies as Energy Solutions for Rural Development 1-2 Nov 2010, Kuala Lumpur The Conference is aimed at promoting awareness on the impact and required action regarding climate change mitigation opportunities in agriculture and the necessary measures for adaptation of agriculture to climate change with a view to facilitating more sustainable, climate-proof and environmentally friendly agricultural policies and production methods. The Conference will, in parallel, address the objectives of eco-standard setting and the role of voluntary product carbon/GHG footprint standards in international food markets. more...
Launch of UNCTAD's Trade & Environment Review 2009/2010
Trade & Environment Review 2009/2010: Promoting poles of clean growth to foster the transitionto a more sustainable economy 8 Feb 2010 UNCTAD´s Trade and Environment Review 2009/2010 focuses on promoting poles of clean growth to foster the transition to a more sustainable economy in developing countries that enhance resilience to the inter-related economic, food and climate crises. more...
*CTF in Africa*
UNCTAD contributes to a book on analysis of developmental and market-access impact of private sustainability standards on horticultural exports in Africa. UNCTAD contributes an article on pro-actively complying with private voluntary standards on Good Agricultural Standards: Key findings of country-case studies in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. http://www.agrifoodstandards.net
Just Published
World Trade Law and Renewable Energy: The Case of Non-Tariff Barriers Just Published ! This study was written by Prof. Robert Howse of the University of Michigan Law School, and edited by Mr. Alexey Vikhlyaev of the UNCTAD secretariat. It �q-considers the question of non-tariff barriers and renewable energy from the perspective of the law of the World Trade Organization. The first part of the study examines whether and to what extent, under the law of the WTO government, policies to promote renewable energy may be disciplined as non-tariff barriers. The second part addresses itself to whether and to what extent WTO law could be used to challenge or discipline policies (regulatory barriers) that disadvantage renewable energy.
Just Published
WTO Negotiations on Environmental Goods and Services: A Potential Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals Just Published ! This study was written by written by Thomas Cottier, Professor of European and International Economic Law, Managing Director, World Trade Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland and Donah Sharon Baracol Pinhao, Economist, Master of International Law and Economics, Formerly Research Fellow, World Trade Institute, University of Berne, Switzerland, and edited by Mr. Alexey Vikhlyaev of the UNCTAD secretariat..
Topic in Focus
Market access is a key issue for developing countries. Developing countries have been concerned that domestic environmental policies in developed countries may adversely affect market access of products from developing countries. Producers in developing countries may lack the technical and financial ability to comply with the environmental regulations of industrialised nations. A key concern is the extent to which environmental standards and regulations, as well as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures in developed country markets have the potential to create barriers to trade, particularly for products exported by developing countries.
Recent Meetings (last 6 months)

Date	Location	Title	M
8 June 2011	Bonn, Germany	Working Group Meeting of the UNCTAD, IFOAM and GlobalG.A.P. Secretariats on Reviewing Options to Reduce Costs of Organic and GlobalGAP certification	More
9-11 Mar 2011	Manila, Philippines	Asian Regional Organic Standards First Drafting Group Meeting	More
17 Feb 2011	Nuremberg, Germany	A Level and Fair Playing Field for Organic Trade	More
14-16 Feb 2011	San Jose, Costa Rica	Facilitating trade and regional cooperation on organic agriculture in Central America and Dominican Republic	More
9-10 Dec 2010	Mumbai, India	Working Group on Harmonization and Equivalence for Organic Agriculture in Asia	More
2 Dec 2010	Nairobi, Kenya	East Africa Organic Conference 2010	More
1 Dec 2010	Nairobi, Kenya	First National Consultation on Kenyan Organic Agriculture Policy	More
1-2 Nov 2010	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	International Conference & Exhibition on Climate Change, Agriculture and Related Trade Standards	More
20 Feb 2010	Nuremberg, Germany	Certified Organic plus certified GLOBALGAP: A New Path	More
19 Feb 2010	Nuremberg, Germany	Africa Symposium, Biofach 2010: Markets as motors for sustainability	More
18 Feb 2010	Nuremberg, Germany	A Level and Fair Playing Field for Organic Trade	More
15-17 Feb 2010	Geneva, Switzerland	Seminar on Environmental governance towards Green Economy - Freiburg MSc students visit	More
9-11 Feb 2010	Geneva, Switzerland	Single-year Expert Meeting on Green and Renewable Technologies as Energy Solutions for Rural Development	More
26 Jan 2010	Berlin, Germany	Sustainable Management: Climate-change Mitigation and Resource/Material Efficiency - What is Myth and what Reality?	More