UNCTAD Strengthening Research and Policy-making Capacity on Trade and the Environment

This project, in collaboration with UNCTAD was designed to strengthen research and policy-making capacity on trade and environment in ten developing countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, India, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda). Three workshops and two roundtable meetings involving policy-makers, non-governmental organisations and developing country research institutions have examined a range of trade and environment issues from the perspective and experiences of the developing countries.

Topics included the following: the relationship between intellectual property rights and the environment; market access and trade liberalisation; environmentally preferable products, particularly organic products; sectoral studies of textiles and garments, agriculture and fisheries products; technology transfer issues in relation to the WTO and in relation to Agenda 21 and Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and domestically prohibited goods.

The aim of the project was to enhance understanding of these issues, to improve policy co-ordination at the national level and to improve the ability of such countries to participate effectively in multilateral negotiations on trade and environment.