scholarly journals Sustainable development in the WTO: from mutual supportiveness to balancing

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
EMILY BARRETT LYDGATE
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
International Law ◽  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Social Goals ◽  
Director General ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Legal Texts

AbstractThe WTO Secretariat describes sustainable development as a central WTO principle. Relevant international law treaties have declared sustainable development's mutual supportiveness with trade liberalization, and also emphasized the need to balance its ‘pillars’: economic development, often equated with trade liberalization, with environmental conservation and social welfare. While ‘mutual supportiveness’ suggests that sustainable development's environmental and social goals are a side effect of trade liberalization, ‘balancing’ involves weighing these different goals, and prompts the difficult question of which are most important, and who is empowered to decide. This paper traces these two broad theoretical conceptions through WTO legal texts, negotiations and dispute settlement, arguing that they have important pragmatic implications. In particular, to create mutual supportiveness WTO Director-General, Pascal Lamy, has stated the need for adequate domestic policies, suggesting that the WTO should support these. Yet, if they have negative trade impacts, pure ‘sustainable development’ policies may be difficult to balance against the WTO obligation to liberalize trade.

Part IV Fundamental Rights and Obligations, A Substantive Obligations, 11 The Obligation to Protect International Watercourses and Their Ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
McCaffrey Stephen C
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
International Law ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Clean Water ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Basic Human Needs

This chapter looks at the obligation not to cause significant pollution to other states sharing freshwater resources, and of the emerging obligation to protect the ecosystems of international watercourses. While problems of water pollution have perhaps received more attention in the literature, it seems probable that the protection of watercourse ecosystems is of wider significance, in terms of geography, meeting basic human needs, and sustainable development. Sustainable development was endorsed at the 1992 Earth Summit as the proper approach to reconciling economic development with protection of the environment. It aims at ensuring that economic development will not exhaust the very resources on which it, and human welfare itself, depend. Clean water and healthy aquatic ecosystems are cornerstones of this effort. International law has now progressed to the point that it protects those values.

scholarly journals Examining the sustainability and development challenge in agricultural-forest frontiers of the Amazon Basin through the eyes of locals

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 797-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Blanco-Gutiérrez ◽  
Rhys Manners ◽  
Consuelo Varela-Ortega ◽  
Ana M. Tarquis ◽  
Lucieta G. Martorano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
New Type

Abstract. The Amazon basin is the world's largest rainforest and the most biologically diverse place on Earth. Despite the critical importance of this region, Amazon forests continue inexorably to be degraded and deforested for various reasons, mainly a consequence of agricultural expansion. The development of novel policy strategies that provide balanced solutions, associating economic growth with environmental protection, is still challenging, largely because the perspective of those most affected – local stakeholders – is often ignored. Participatory fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) was implemented to examine stakeholder perceptions towards the sustainable development of two agricultural-forest frontier areas in the Bolivian and Brazilian Amazon. A series of development scenarios were explored and applied to stakeholder-derived FCM, with climate change also analysed. Stakeholders in both regions perceived landscapes of socio-economic impoverishment and environmental degradation driven by governmental and institutional deficiencies. Under such abject conditions, governance and well-integrated social and technological strategies offered socio-economic development, environmental conservation, and resilience to climatic changes. The results suggest there are benefits of a new type of thinking for development strategies in the Amazon basin and that continued application of traditional development policies reduces the resilience of the Amazon to climate change, whilst limiting socio-economic development and environmental conservation.

Africa and the Rethinking of International Investment Law

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makane Moïse Mbengue ◽  
Stefanie Schacherer
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Law ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
International Investment ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
International Investment Law ◽  
Pan African ◽  
International Investment Agreements ◽  
Investment Law ◽  
Investment Agreements

This chapter seeks to present and to contextualize the Pan-African Investment Code (PAIC) by taking a comparative international law approach. Such approach allows us to assess whether the PAIC is an Africa-specific instrument and whether it is unique today in how it incorporates sustainable development concerns. This is particularly interesting for the ongoing global reform process of international investment law. The chapter is divided into five main sections. Section II provides an overview of international investment agreements concluded by African States. Section III presents the origins of the PAIC. Section IV addresses the important question as to what extent the PAIC incorporates traditional investment standards or breaks with them. Section V explores the most innovative aspects of the PAIC. Section VI examines the PAIC and dispute settlement.

scholarly journals Polish economic clusters and their efforts to protect the environment – selected examples

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Dyrda-Muskus
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environment Protection ◽  
Enterprise Development ◽  
General Element ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Polish Economy ◽  
Competitive Economy

Abstract This paper presents the benefits they can obtain business which aim to protect the environment. The environment protection has found its place and affects the process of systemic change of the Polish economy. This article assumes that building a competitive economy and enterprise development based on the principle of sustainable development requires the development of mechanisms for mutual benefits. These will be the economic mechanisms, technical and technological, and social. All these mechanisms are concentrated in clusters. Pursue sustainable development policies, an emphasis on environmental protection will be the general element for them a competitive advantage. Sustainable development will in this case be both the agent and the goal of economic and entrepreneurship development. Basing on the assumption that economic development is possible through the achievement of competitive advantage, sustainable development should be treated as its source.

scholarly journals Equalising the Levels of the Development of the Regions in the Socialist System with the Polish People's Republic as an Example

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Edyta Czop
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Social Goals ◽  
Investment Policy ◽  
Large Role ◽  
World War ◽  
Industrial Plants ◽  
Post War

After the end of World War II, the Polish authorities had to face post-war reconstruction, integrate the country's economic development within new borders, but also solve problems inherited from the Second Polish Republic: leveling civilization differences between individual regions. These issues were reflected in the plans to modernize the country, promoted by the communists. These plans contained elements of the pre-war modernization concept, but these visions were fundamentally different. The need for industrialization of backward areas proclaimed by the communist authorities was associated with political and social goals. The elimination of regional differences through balanced economic development was combined with the expansion of the working class and the elimination or marginalization of layers considered "capitalist". Additional elements, in fact playing a very large role, were the adoption of the Soviet model of modernization, which was associated with greater or lesser subordination of Moscow's goals and fulfillment of economic tasks resulting from belonging to the CMEA. The problem of sustainable development of the country was particularly strongly emphasized to half of l.50. While the country managed to integrate within the new borders, the investment policy did not reduce regional disparities. The location of new industrial plants led to disharmony in the development of Poland. The problem was also not solved in the following years. The reason was: failure of a centrally controlled economy, dominance of obsolete technologies, cyclical breakdowns in the economy, leading to socio-political crises.Keywords: Sustainable development, modernization, centrally controlled economy, investment policy, socialism

scholarly journals Modern prerequisites for the formation of a system of indicators of sustainable development of socio-economic systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Sausheva ◽  
Svetlana Maykova ◽  
Svetlana Kirdyashkina
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Development Economic ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Interconnected System ◽  
State Response

The growth of the world economy that does not meet the requirements of environmental sustainability is accompanied by an increase in anthropogenic pressure on the environment, which leads to an aggravation of environmental problems and increases the likelihood of man-made accidents and catastrophes. In this situation, the direction of scientific research in the field of forming a unified methodology for comprehensive analysis and evaluation of sustainable development, as a simultaneous balanced economic development and environmental conservation, becomes important. The currently used methodological approaches do not always provide a comprehensive assessment of the results achieved in economic development from the perspective of financial and economic indicators, and address social and environmental issues. The solution to this problem is possible by modifying the modern system of indicators of sustainable development of socio-economic systems based on the wider use of the DSR model («Driving forces (previously-pressure) – state-reaction») / DSR («Driving Force – State – Response»). The article presents a conceptual analysis of the system of indicators of sustainable development based on the «driving forces – state – response» model used by the Organization for economic cooperation and development. Economic activity affects (exerts «pressure», uses «driving forces») the environment, the quality and quantity of natural resources («state»); in turn, society and the state changes public consciousness and behavior, conducts environmental measures («reaction»). Possible directions of modernization of this system of indicators are defined. It is concluded that the use of an interconnected system of indicators can improve the effectiveness of public policy due to objective, reliable and comparable information about the environment and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Sino-Italian political and economic cooperation: Perspectives and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 113-137
Author(s):  
Slobodan Popović
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
International Law ◽  
Economic Cooperation ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Mutual Trust ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Distribution Of Wealth ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Belt And Road

The purpose of this article is to examine Sino-Italian political and economic cooperation. The first part of the paper reviews the still ongoing process of China`s ambitions to present itself as a 'non-Other' to the international society by carrying out economic development and political opening and offering the Belt and Road Initiative to international partners. However, Beijing still faces (un)justified accusation that it affects the implementation of the already established norms, principles and procedures of the international law, sustainable development, geopolitical order, and geoeconomic distribution of wealth. For the purpose of this research, our focus will be on Italian understanding of the maritime perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative. The second part examines tools that the two countries use for overcoming obstacles to political and economic cooperation, whilst striving not just to widen and strengthen mutual trust, sincerity, and pragmatism, but to protect national interests as well.

State Sovereignty in the Planetary Management of Natural Resources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nico J. Schrijver
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Law ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Global Environmental Governance ◽  
Sovereign State ◽  
Progressive Development ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Global Values

Protagonists of global environmental governance often view the sovereign State as well as the principle of sovereignty as major stumbling blocks for effective environmental conservation and sustainable development. Some even herald the demise of the idea of the sovereign State. However, reality has it differently. Sovereignty is no longer an unqualified concept. Manifold new duties have been imposed upon the sovereign State as a result of the progressive development of international law. Much of the modern international law movement vests States with the responsibility to adopt regulations, to monitor and secure compliance and exercise justice in order to achieve its implementation, whereas supranational global environmental governance has remained notoriously weak. This article examines this proposition by reference to the environmental and developmental role of states in three landmark multilateral treaties: The United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (1982), the Convention on the Conservation of Biological Diversity (1992) and the Paris Agreement on climate change (2015). They demonstrate that sovereignty serves as a key organisational principle for the realization of global values, such as environmental conservation and sustainable development.

State Sovereignty in the Planetary Management of Natural Resources

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Nico J. Schrijver
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Law ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Global Environmental Governance ◽  
Sovereign State ◽  
Progressive Development ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Global Values

Protagonists of global environmental governance often view the sovereign State as well as the principle of sovereignty as major stumbling blocks for effective environmental conservation and sustainable development. Some even herald the demise of the idea of the sovereign State. However, reality has it differently. Sovereignty is no longer an unqualified concept. Manifold new duties have been imposed upon the sovereign State as a result of the progressive development of international law. Much of the modern international law movement vests States with the responsibility to adopt regulations, to monitor and secure compliance and exercise justice in order to achieve its implementation, whereas supranational global environmental governance has remained notoriously weak. This article examines this proposition by reference to the environmental and developmental role of states in three landmark multilateral treaties: The United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (1982), the Convention on the Conservation of Biological Diversity (1992) and the Paris Agreement on climate change (2015). They demonstrate that sovereignty serves as a key organisational principle for the realization of global values, such as environmental conservation and sustainable development.

scholarly journals A ARMADILHA DA POBREZA: UMA ANALISE DA CONTRIBUIÇÃO DAS INSTITUIÇÕES MULTILATERAIS E REGIONAIS PARA O FRACO DESEMPENHO ECONÔMICO E SOCIAL DOS PAÍSES DO OESTE AFRICANO

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiane Las Casas Campos ◽  
Alexandre Cesar Cunha Leite
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
West African ◽  
Poverty Trap ◽  
The West ◽  
Agricultural Resources ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
West African Coast ◽  
African Coast

This paper analyzes the conditions for seven countries located on the West African coast to practically set growth and economic development policies in order to overcome what we call the poverty trap. These countries could seek at the regional and multilateral levels the resources needed to overcome their backwardness. However, we identified that the main policy proposed by these institutions for these countries, which was trade liberalization, not only maintained the condition of being exporters of natural and agricultural resources and were unable to generate sufficient employment and income to overcome their poverty.

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