TRADE AND

SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT

Dr. AMIRTHALINGAM. S
Associate Professor of Law
TNNLS
Trichy
Trade and MEAs

 Multilateral processes shaping the

interactions between trade and sustainable
development
WTO-Doha
Monterrey Consensus

2005 World Summit

CSD

Multilateral environmental agreements

 WSSD AND TRADE = JPOI

Call
for timely conclusion of Doha Development
Round, specifically:
Improved market access for developing countries;
Reduction with view to phasing out agriculture export

subsidies, trade-distorting domestic support;

Support for trade-related technical assistance
and capacity-building;
Duty-, quota-free access to exports of LDCs;

Building capacity to diversify exports;

 DEVELOPMENT THE JPOI
LINKS
Incentives to adopt efficient, clean technology;
Increased availability, lower cost of clean
technology;
Technology transfer through export-oriented
FDI;
Information sharing with small- and medium
enterprises;
NON-TARIFF BARRIERS (NTBS)
Non-tariff barriers (NTBs) are an increasing
source of concern especially for the worlds poorer
nations
 THE TREND IN THE EVOLUTION
OF NTBS CREATES A
CHALLENGE FOR JPOI
Thwartsthe role of trade in achieving
sustainable development, by, inter alia
Affecting higher value aquaculture exports, making moving up
value chain more difficult;
Risk of market fragmentation;

Measures often exceed multilaterally accepted norms;

Challenge for small economies and community-based

entrepreneurial capacity;
 DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENTAL
LEGISLATION AND BARRIERS TO
TRADE
National legislation and regulatory regimes can
act as barriers to trade-related sustainable
growth.
Examples:
Biofuels are environmentally preferable products but
effected by protective trade rules;
Approval of biotech products is long and complex in key

markets;
Foreign organic production systems are not recognized

key markets, requiring dual certification.

 TRADE AND MULTILATERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS
Proliferation of trade agreements and environmental
agreements;
Agenda 21 of the Rio Conference states that measures
should be taken to avoid unilateral action to deal with
environmental challenges outside the jurisdiction of
the importing country;
WTO Members have agreed to clarify the legal
relationship between WTO rules and MEAs;
No disputes have thus far come to the WTO regarding
the trade provisions contained in an MEA;
Of the approximately 200 MEAs currently in force,
only about 20 contain trade provisions.
 Firm groundwork in major multilateral
processes;
Progress on implementation is vital;
Successful completion of Doha would mean
greater progress in sustainable development
objectives:
Reversal of the trend in escalating NTBs
Addressing market-access concerns for developing countries

Morecan be achieved by focusing on areas of

opportunity for fast-tracking:
Trade in Environmental Goods
Cleaner production technology