Lessons Learned on Trade and Sustainable Development
This book is a synthesis of six years of research from the Trade Knowledge Network (TKN). It draws out the key lessons of that research in a style accessible to educated non-experts as well as to those well-steeped in the trade-sustainable development debates.
The TKN is a network of research institutions based in eight developing countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Pakistan, South Africa and Vietnam. It was formed in 1998 (minus Chile and Bangladesh, which were added in the second phase), with the objective of building capacity among researchers, governments and the wider policy community to address the complex issues of trade and sustainable development. The members conduct in-country research on the most salient linkages at the national level, which is complemented by thematic research from the international level. The research, as well as more general materials on the relationship between trade and sustainable development, is shared with governments and civil society at policy workshops with the aim of building capacity and creating national or regional networks of interested stakeholders. The TKN is currently coordinated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Canada) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (Geneva).
The research on which this book draws is compiled in full on the CD attached to the back of this book. It can also be accessed in English and Spanish at http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net. It comprises 14 national-level studies covering 24 cases, and also includes a number of thematic studies and papers commissioned for particular workshops.
In building a synthesis of the research, this book insulates itself from other similar work; all citations are references to the TKN papers. This is not to deny the relevance of other work on the areas of interest—on the contrary, it was difficult to refrain from citing other excellent works to make or bolster particular points. Rather, the intention was to avoid drawing out lessons that are favourites of the author, as opposed to those strictly illustrated by the work of the network. Of course the Network’s research itself drew heavily on other cited sources.
As such, this is not an overview piece on trade, environment and sustainable development. It is a thorough analysis of the subset of the issues touched on by the TKN research. While the scope of that research is broad, it is not exhaustive. Nonetheless, the results should be of interest to all those who work on these issues, and should provide a good introduction to them for those outside the debates looking for a fact-based primer.