March-July 2020 ARTNeT Newsletter is back after a long hiatus
We at ARTNeT secretariat hope that you, your loved ones, and your colleagues continue to be safe and well. Our apologies for not sending you our monthly newsletter since March, but work on the responses to socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic kept us breathless (no pun intended). However, we have closely followed your work and did our best to assist you in disseminating it through ARTNeT social media. This month, we will continue issuing monthly newsletters, so write to us if you have new publications, events, training, or to add news to the “People on the move” column.
Please stay connected as we work our journey through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all in this together, and only together, we can build forward better.
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 195
Negotiating strategies for LDCs to make the most of Aid for Trade
by Simon Lacey, July 2020
The paper focuses on negotiating strategies with respect to two kinds of broadly formulated Aid for Trade (AfT) commitments. The first is infrastructure to alleviate supply-side constraints across transport infrastructure, testing and certification capacity and communications network infrastructure for online connectivity. The second set of AfT commitments this paper seeks to provide developing country negotiators advice on is in the area of trade finance, which has become such a prevalent problem for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries that even the WTO Secretariat has started to refer to this as a non-tariff measure. More...
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 194
Non-tariff measures and sustainable development in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
by Zalina Enikeeva, July 2020
This study analyses the relationship between non-tariff measures (NTMs) applicable in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Many NTMs (in broader sense) in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are found to have legitimate and necessary objectives, such as protection of human, animal and plant health or, protection of the environment. At the same time, there seems to have been instances in the region of NTMs being overtly used with a protectionist intent. The bulk of the measures examined affecting agricultural trade, however, showed that the most frequent NTMs might be addressing health-related SDGs. Data on NTMs remain incomplete in many countries of the region. As such, further efforts are needed to increase transparency in this area to ensure the measures do not create unnecessary barriers to trade and sustainable development. More...
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 193
Enabling growth in the new economy: Industrial policy choices in a world of disruptive technological change
by Simon Lacey, June 2020
This paper examines recent technological developments and how they could impact efforts by policymakers and political leaders in developing countries to harness trade and investment liberalization to achieve economic development outcomes. It begins by discussing some of the proven elements to moving up the development ladder but then warns that the tried and trusted methods and pathways could be closing in light of new technological developments such as automation and artificial intelligence, the impact of which on labor markets promises to be disruptive in the short to medium term. The paper provides a set of policy prescriptions that governments could and should be contemplating in order to position their economies to benefit from the opportunities of the new economy but also to shelter their workforces from any possible downsides that these new and disruptive technologies may bring with them. More...
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 192
E-commerce provisions in RTAs: Implications for negotiations and capacity building
by Gloria O. Pasadilla, June 2020
This paper addresses the regulatory and policy environments conducive for e-commerce to thrive. In particular, as regulatory issues affecting e-commerce have become more prominent in recent regional trade agreements (RTAs), the paper seeks to investigate their role in setting the regulatory standard in this area. Indeed e-commerce- or digital trade-related obligations and commitments have grown deeper and broader in more recent RTAs compared to earlier ones. Since RTAs have become laboratories for rule-making, it is likely that some of its e-commerce-related obligations would find its way in a plurilateral/ multilateral agreement on e-commerce if one gets agreed in the future. The paper reviews previous findings on RTA provisions in e-commerce and explains the rationale for the inclusion of certain provisions in relation to promoting growth in e-commerce. It zooms in on two recent RTAs, one involving the European Union, and another the Unites States of America, as both are seen as building “model provisions” to follow by others. More...
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 191
Digital trade integration in preferential trade agreements
by Andrew D. Mitchell and Neha Mishra
The growth of digital trade is dependant upon greater interconnectivity across borders. Several countries strive to achieve such interconnectivity and integration in digital trade through international trade agreements. Digital trade integration is a complex, multidimensional process that integrates regulatory structures/policy designs, digital technologies and business processes along the entire global/regional digital value chain. This paper sets out five foundational elements of digital trade integration: reducing digital trade barriers; digital trade facilitation; digital trade regulatory frameworks and digital trust policies; digital development and inclusion; and institutional coordination. It then examines the extent to which Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) can or do contribute to digital integration. More...
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 190
Healthcare products trade and external shocks: The US-China trade war and COVID-19 pandemic
by Mia mikic, T. Alexander Puutio and James G. Gallagher
In 2019 and the early months of 2020, global trade faced two major albeit very different shocks, namely the United States-China trade war and the cascading response of the countries around the world to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the former situation involved a pair of centrally-placed trading partners introducing tariffs and retaliatory measures across a broad swathe of tradeables that made a global trade environment highly unpredictable, the latter has seen entire production networks and supply value chains debilitated and transactions across the borders halted. This paper examines the trade impacts of these two external shocks from the perspective of the healthcare sector. The paper also analyses likely impacts of the trade tensions on the healthcare sector and the economy at large through secondary impacts on, for example, adoption rates of key technologies. The paper draws attention to harmful effects of export restrictions and calls for coordinated collective action in building back more robust and resilient ecosystems including in the healthcare sector. More...
ARTNeT Working Paper, No. 189
Addressing non-tariff measures to promote Pakistan’s textile sector
by Rabia Manzoor, Vaqar Ahmed and Asif Javed
The paper aims to identify the various types of non-tariff measures (NTMs) affecting Pakistan’s textile sector. The textile industry is of great importance to Pakistan and is a major contributor to its gross domestic product. However, Pakistan’s textile exports are facing market access challenges, in part due to trade barriers of some developed countries. An in-depth analysis of Pakistan’s textile sector and NTMs country-wise and category-wise for the period of 2010-2017 was conducted. Statistics about the textile industry of Pakistan were obtained from the State Bank of Pakistan, while categorical export data on NTMs was taken from UNCTAD’s TRAINS database. Face-to-face informal interviews were also conducted with 15 participants from relevant stakeholder groups, including public and private sector officials. More...
In Preparation for WTO MC12: Safeguarding Trade Interests of LDCs and Securing Trade Interests of Graduating LDCs
Prepared by Mustafizur Rahman and Debapriya Bhattacharya
This publication was prepared in order to respond to several of the LDC members of ESCAP and to assist them in preparing to position their trade-related development interests through the upcoming MC12. Considering the state of affairs in the global economy and the weakening confidence in the multilateral solutions, the present publication focuses on four issues. First, it presents some of the key developments that form the global scenario and which have important implications for the LDCs as they prepare their stance for the next Ministerial Conference. Next, it deals with – to use the trade jargon, the “offensive” and “defensive” trade interests of the LDCs. These are carefully considered, one by one, including the new issues arriving from the “joint statements” and proposals for the possible stance of LDCs in view of those issues. Finally, the issues of trade-related concerns and interests of the cohort of graduating LDCs are discussed and some elements of a support package for helping these countries move towards their smooth transition, graduation with momentum, and sustainable and robust LDC graduation are put forward. It is argued that, in the course of the current critically important transition phase from an LDC to a developing country, the graduating LDCs will need targeted support from multilateral and bilateral development partners. While graduating LDCs do their own homework with regard to implementing their own national smooth transition strategy, they will need support from the global community. More...
For trade to be sustainable, it must not only generate balanced economic growth but also strengthen social capital and promote environmental stewardship. These three pillars of sustainability -- economic, social, and environmental – were first laid out by the UN Brundtland Commission in 1986, and also form the basis for the Hinrich Foundation Sustainable Trade Index. The index recognizes that although trade is an essential ingredient in economic development, it cannot be sustainably pursued without an equivalent commitment to social capital and the environment.
“The virus affects everyone the same, rich and poor”; “Priority of policy should be to take care of people, not the economy”... These kinds of statements sound very nice, but they can be very misleading and unhelpful for policymaking. Continue reading...
Recent Events
New Online Course on Trade Facilitation for Sustainable Development
3 August-18 September 2020
ARTNeT and ESCAP secretariats have teamed up with International Institute for Trade and Development to offer the 7-week online course on Trade Facilitation for Sustainable Development. The course intends to raise awareness of stakeholders from the public and private sectors on trade facilitation, build their capacity on using relevant trade facilitation instruments, and enable them to more effectively support or participate in implementing trade facilitation measures.
The course combines video presentations, online exercises, group work, and interactive sessions with experts. It covers several key trade facilitation topics, including two workshops dedicated to specific practical measures:
○ Concept of trade facilitation and sustainable development, trade facilitation state of play in the region and beyond, assessing trade facilitation performance using indicators
○ WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and other tools and instruments for trade facilitation;
○ Role of National Trade Facilitation Committee;
○ Workshop on Business Process Analysis to simplify trade procedures;
○ Workshop on Enhancing online National Trade Portals/Repositories;
○ Implementing Paperless Trade and Single Windows;
○ Digital Trade Facilitation and Emerging Technologies;
○ Other advanced topics in trade facilitation.
About 40 participants including from ARTNeT institutional members have been selected to take the course in its first run, and their feedback will be used to fine-tune the course before its next delivery. Expression of interest to take the course in the future can be sent to artnetontrade@un.org.
Recent and ongoing events by members
Initiative on Model Provisions for Trade in Times of Crisis and Pandemic in Regional and other Trade Agreements
Following the raft of ad-hoc trade measures taken by countries in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the United Nations ESCAP secretariat conducted a rapid review of bilateral and regional trade agreement (RTA) texts to see if they provided any guidance on what partners should do to ensure minimal disruption to trade and supply chains in such crises. As expected, RTAs include clauses in order to permit an exception to the agreements in time of emergencies; but for the most part, they do not feature provisions that could help deal with trade disruption in emergency or crisis situations. To address this gap and in support of “building back better” after COVID-19, the initiative aims to develop model provisions to promote more trade cooperation and predictability in times of crisis and pandemic – and speed up recovery.
This United Nations initiative, coordinated by ESCAP, is implemented jointly by UNCTAD and the 5 United Nations Regional Commissions (ECA, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA and UNECE) in cooperation with WTO, CUTS and several other organizations from civil society, academia, and the private sector. A Core Expert Group has been established to guide the initiative and support the delivery of an online (living) Handbook on Provisions for Trade in Times of Crisis and Pandemic in Regional and other Trade Agreements.
As a first step towards developing the Handbook, a 45-day Policy Hackathon was organized, enabling all interested trade negotiators and experts from government, academia, think tanks, international organizations, and civil society to contribute to this challenging endeavor. All relevant contributions by participants will be made available through an online repository under their authors’ or their organizations’ names. Updates and further information available from here.
Alerts
SANEM International Conference "COVID-19 and development Challenges" 1-3 October 2020
Everyday 5PM-9PM, Bangladesh standard time (GMT+6)
The impact of the pandemic on growth, poverty and inequality, education, and public health services can trigger a transgenerational socioeconomic consequence. To understand the lengths and depths of challenges in these fronts ignited by the pandemic, there is no alternative to an in-depth academic discourse. With that note, SANEM announces to host the International Web-Conference on “COVID-19 and the Development Challenges” on October 1-3, 2020.
For further information go here.
Call for Papers: "Sustainability in Tourism and Economic Growth" September 1, 2020
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) plans its Special Issue of Sustainability and invites research papers to discuss and analyse specific problems of sustainability in light of tourism, economic growth, and development. Authors of research papers focusing on tourism and sustainability can conduct investigations using approaches like theoretical constructs and models, econometric analysis, comparative studies, environmental mitigation strategies, environmental compensation measures, and case studies.
For further information please follow this link.
Call for abstracts: Technology and the transition from informal to formal economy
31 August 2020
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) invite researchers to submit proposals for innovative research papers relevant to the theme of the use of digital technologies in support of accelerating results in the transition from the informal to formal economy. The deadline for submission is 31 August 2020.
For further information please follow this link.
6th Roundtable of the ASEAN-India network of think Tanks
20-21 August 2020
This year's theme: "ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post-COVID Era"
Further details will be posted soon.
Please click here for registration : https://cutt.ly/6thaintt
Publications from ARTNeT members and partners
Our AUGUST Newsletter issue will include a collection of the most recent publications.
Here are links to some of the newsletters regularly issued by some members and collaborators:
