ISDS Case Map
bilateralism & multilateralism
how bilateral, multilateral, regional, unilateral and plurilateral approaches relate (e.g. FTAs vis-à-vis WTO)
Some observers believe that certain FTA provisions may lock the United
States into current intellectual property policies, inhibiting opportunities for future
reform. Others are concerned that under existing multilateral
agreements, the intellectual
property obligations found within one FTA may extend beyond that particular treaty
partner. Some perceive FTAs to be an inappropriate and unfair
vehicle for international intellectual property reforms due to the strong bargaining
position of the United States.
The hundreds of bilateral and regional trade deals around or being crafted is creating a brave new world for business, reports Daniel Hilken
William Jefferson Clinton once said that “the opposition to globalisation in the world is rooted in people who feel left out, left behind and stepped on in other countries.” Apparently, having accepted our status as doormats, the developing world has once again sent our highest authorities to the other end of the world to continue to hammer out a trade deal that maintains our city-mouse/country-mouse dynamic.
FTAs are now a significant U.S. trade policy tool. Their rapid emergence raises
some important policy issues for the US Congress as it considers implementing
legislation and monitors negotiations as part of its oversight responsibilities.
How credible is Thailand's FTA policy? What can be done to improve it?
The Abu Dhabi Summit, which kicked-off yesterday evening, will come up to the expectations of 40 million Gulf nationals as it is likely to incorporate a road map for greater economic integration of the oil rich region.
Is Vietnam capable of signing an FTA when the essence of such an agreement is WTO++, with rules based on WTO rules? If we have not joined the WTO yet, how can we reach an FTA with Japan?
The GCC does not need Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), what it needs is Fair Trade agreements, said Mishal Hamed Kanoo, Deputy Chairman, the Kanoo Group, at the 4th GCC Economic Forum.
NGOs call upon WTO Members and their trade negotiators
to protect the public from the explosion of one-sided and harmful
regional and bilateral trade agreements that impose TRIPS plus
obligations on developing countries that undermine access to
medicine.
The proliferation of bilateral trade deals among Asian countries is an undesirable fallout of the slow progress in global trade talks and against the interests of the poorest countries in the region, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
