 |
 |
Trade Perspectives
August 2009
|
|
 |
EDITOR’S NOTE
Dear Reader
Welcome to the second edition of our Trade Perspectives Newsletter.
The past year has seen the Development through Trade programme expand its trade work to the interface of trade and environment and sustainable development policy through the Trade Knowledge Network. In this issue we feature this flagship regional project highlighting the series on agricultural sector trajectories in Southern Africa which assesses the current situation and driving forces that will affect regional agricultural futures.
We also highlight the project’s involvement in regional dialogue on the linkages between trade and climate change through coverage of the recent dialogue held in Johannesburg on 7-8 May.
Regular slots include recent opinion-editorials, publications, and events.
We hope it will be an enjoyable and stimulating read for you!
FEATURE
Trade Knowledge Network
The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN), a research programme of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, was created in 1998 to advance the trade and sustainable development agenda by creating stronger, better informed Southern voices in the debate. With operations in Southern Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America TKN has been supporting developing country research and capacity in this area with a focus on providing regional perspectives on the link between trade and sustainable development and presenting quality research aimed at developing realistic alternatives to present trade and investment policy and practice. As a network of various research organisations and partners it is a facility that generates partner based research on targeted issues and uses partners to influence policy in their respective countries.
For more on the Trade Knowledge Network visit: http://www.saiia.org.za/development-through-trade-projects/trade-knowledge-network.html
TKN Series on Agricultural Futures in Southern Africa
The issues around food security and agriculture in Southern Africa are dynamic, complex, uncertain and difficult to address. This report is an attempt to understand the current situation and the driving forces i.e. the underlying social, political, environmental and technological trends that will affect the future of agriculture in the region. It stems from a scenario planning exercise with regional partners that employed structured strategic conversations from multiple perspectives as a tool to identify critical uncertainties that affect food security and agriculture. The result is a report, underpinned by five background briefings, which identifies a range of threats, opportunities, trends and outcomes of Southern African agricultural futures. For more see:
http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net/research/pub.aspx?id=1135
Africa Trade and Climate Change Dialogue, 7-8 May, 2009
The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, the IISD and SAIIA organized a Regional Trade and Climate Change Consultation in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 7-8 May 2009. The objectives of the regional consultation were:
- Explore the issues at the interface of trade and climate change of concern and interest to African countries;
- Identify a positive agenda able to contribute to engagement of African countries in the process of negotiations towards the UNFCCC Copenhagen summit in December;
- Provide a platform for interaction and exchange amongst climate change and trade negotiators; policy-makers; private sector; academia; and civil society.
The dialogue brought together trade officials from Africa; policymakers; climate change and development analysts; civil society and private sector representatives; experts; academics; and IGOs for two days to discuss these issues and identify the policy priorities and future research agendas to address key trade and climate change issues for these countries. Details are available here.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
SAIIA Occasional Paper, No.25, February 2009
China in the African Solar Energy Sector
by Tsidiso Disenyana
- English [.pdf]
Access to reliable and affordable electricity is critical for poverty alleviation and the improvement of livelihoods, including in the areas of education, health, and industrial development in Africa.
Read more
Book: The Political Economy of Trade Reform in Emerging Markets: Crisis or Opportunity edited by Peter Draper, Phil Alves and Razeen Sally.
This timely book brings fresh analysis to the important issue of trade policy reform in emerging markets. The subject matter and its significance are comprehensively introduced with a review of developing country liberalisation since the 1980s providing an analytical framework for the seven-country case studies that follow. The case studies (Australia, Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Africa) cover a wide variety of political, historical and economic issues, but all make clear the important role that crisis, or the threat of it, plays in meaningful trade policy reform. This is of particular relevance in the current global financial crisis. These studies, together with the conclusions which are drawn from them, show how important the trade liberalisation agenda remains in the 21st century.
Written by a combination of both experts and practitioners, this highly topical book will make productive reading for policymakers concerned with trade policy in developed and developing countries, as well as scholars working in trade policy. For more on this see:
http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/bookentry_main.lasso?id=13242
|
|
|
| WTO Roundtable – Economic crisis and the WTO held on 19 May 2009 |
| The financial crisis which began in the US and spread to many markets across the globe has added to and complicated the cocktail of challenges blocking the way to a successful conclusion of the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations. Led by Dr Razeen Sally, this roundtable outlined emerging protectionism dynamics, their implications for the Doha Round of WTO negotiations and the future of the multilateral trading system. Read More. |
| Trade in Electricity Services in SACU: Towards a Negotiating Strategy held on 23 June 2009 |
|
On 23 June 2009, SAIIA hosted a workshop on energy services in SACU. While the region is richly endowed with natural resources there are various constraints that limit the region’s capacity to meet the needs of the people living within SACU. Often the lack of cohesive policies has been a stumbling block in other trade negotiations. The study presented at this workshop addressed this issue by exploring how the challenges that face the energy services sector can be met so that SACU can move towards liberalisation of trade in services. Read More.
|
| African Economic Outlook Launch on 27 July 2009 |
|
Jointly hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs, the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, National Treasury and the Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the launch focused on the broad challenges Africa is facing in times of the current global financial crisis. The 2009 African Economic Outlook covers 47 African countries and includes a special chapter on Innovation and Information and Communication Technology in Africa. For more on this see: www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/
|
| Namibia National Trade and Environment Workshop, 29-30 July 2009 |
|
TKN in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade of Namibia and GTZ hosted a two day workshop in which the findings of the TKN-led Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) were presented. The RTEA is a quick analytical assessment process designed to flag areas of concern or opportunity for environmental sustainability in trade policymaking. Namibia was the first country in the region to conduct this assessment with interesting results on the future of its tourism and meat industries and possibilities in green labeling and converting wild bush into biochar.
Read More
|
| Trade and Environment Conference
In the past the impact of climate change was unclear but now there is ample evidence that our climate is changing. So much so that climate change is seen as the most pressing environmental problem of our time. The high level of green house gases (GHG) in the atmosphere already affects physical and biological systems by changing ecosystems and causing extinction of species. But it also has an economic impact as a result of the economic costs and risks of extreme weather. Overall, climate change could have a severe impact on economic growth and development if no action is taken to reduce GHG emissions.
Scheduled to take place on 26-27 October 2009 at Jan Smuts House, Wits University, Johannesburg, the conference focuses on the tension in the economy-climate policy nexus with the aim of highlighting key competitive, technological and market issues that African countries need to take into account as they head to Copenhagen and weighing various policy arrangements in this context. To learn more about this event please contact Sheila Kiratu at Sheila.Kiratu@saiia.org.za.
|
| The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN) is collaboration of research and policy institutions in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas that are working to ensure that social development and environmental goals are equitable addressed in trade and investment policies'. Some of our recent publications include: |
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Trade Perspectives is a quarterly update produced by the Development through Trade programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Trade Perspectives aims to facilitate and broaden public dialogue on trade policy and trade negotiations. We hope to keep civil society groups, researchers, governments and development partners informed about issues relating to trade policy and trade negotiations.
Each quarter, we will feature our Publications, Events as well as Opinion Editorials and links to interesting, relevant new material. We hope that you will visit our site at Trade Perspectives to subscribe in order to continue receiving this newsletter, and look forward to hearing your views.
If you would like to submit an original, unpublished, trade-related manuscript for possible inclusion in the Newsletter series, please email tsidiso.disenyana@saiia.org.za
Opinions expressed in papers and articles are those of their authors, and not SAIIA.
We gratefully acknowledge the Australian Agency for International Development, which has generously supported the Development through Trade Programme and this Newsletter series.
|
|
|
|
