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The
results of this workshop have been summarized in an Ecologic Brief:
Ecologic
Brief: The Architecture of the Global System of Governance - The
Nexus between Trade and Sustainable Development - (pdf, 53 KB, English)
A
well functioning and coherent architecture of the global system
of governance is essential to ensure that trade and sustainable
development policies are mutually supportive and effectively implemented.
At present, the myriad of rules, institutions, and mechanisms creates
a set of mixed signals and inefficiencies that undermine the overall
effectiveness of the global system. The interrelationship between
the World
Trade Organization, the numerous multilateral environmental
agreements, and other international organizations addressing sustainable
development is fraught with ambiguity. These ambiguities not only
exist from a legal perspective, in the sense of a lack of clarity
and coherence among legal norms, but also at the functional and
programmatic levels, which then permeates down to the regional and
national levels. The result is fragmentation, lack of legitimacy,
incoherence, and a lack of authority to promote meaningful collective
change.
These
problems are well known, and in response a number of initiatives
have taken place in the recent past: UNEP's
work on enhancing global environmental governance, the creation
of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum, the WTO's Doha Development
Agenda, and, most recently, the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD).
The results have been mixed and have confirmed that there are no
easy fixes. It is now time to take stock and consider how a forward-looking
European research agenda can be developed in support of more effective
and achievable policy solutions.
While
it is important to focus research and analysis on achieving a more
effective and coherent governance structure, it has also become
necessary to take on board the increasing role and impact of non-State
actors on the structure itself and on its outputs. The WSSD has
affirmed the significance of public-private partnerships. But in
addition, non-State actors have become de facto components of the
architecture through public policy networks, voluntary codes of
conduct, certification and labelling initiatives, as well as through
the investment and financial decisions of the private sector. Placing
these actors into an integrated research agenda presents an ambitious,
but vital, challenge.
The workshop focuses on several themes:
- Enhancing the impact of the
sustainable development regime in addressing trade issues;
- Reforming the WTO, in the context of
the Doha Development Agenda and beyond, to ensure that it addresses
sustainable development in an appropriate manner;
- Strengthening the relationship between
the sustainable development and trade regimes;
- Leveraging the contributions
of non-State actors in support of the global architecture of governance.
The
goals of the workshop are:
- Identifying elements of a research
agenda on global governance on trade and sustainable development;
- Supporting the creation of an European
net-work of academics and research institutions to address these
issues from a European perspective;
- Providing input into the deliberations
of DG
Trade on these global governance issues relating to trade
and sustainable development.
The workshop convenes
participants from government (trade, environment and/or other relevant
ministries), international organisations, environmental NGOs, the
business sector, academic community, and other experts from EU Member
States and beyond. Workshop language is English.
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