Summer Academy 2010

This course explores the nexus of WTO law and international trade. At first it focuses on the legal parameters and evolution of the GATT and WTO Agreements. The course then analyses basic economic models and key empirical findings. A visit to the WTO and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL) is planned for Friday, 16 July 2010.

This course examines the links between foreign policy and trade, and discriminatory trade agreements as an instrument of foreign policy. It discusses problems of coherence between the WTO and other international organisations, the political issues surrounding trade and development, and prospects for structural reform of the WTO.

This course explains EC and US anti-dumping/safeguards law and practice and how they relate to WTO law. Various subsidy regimes are analysed in relation to the WTO Agreement on Countervailing Measures. It concludes with a discussion of potential outcomes of future negotiations on these issues and how the economic crisis has affected recourse to contingent protection measures.

The first part of this course will explore key legal and economic issues arising from the enlarged role of developing countries in trade governance. It will explore linkages between trade, growth and development, take up the issue of aid for trade and explore the negotiating priorities of developing countries in the WTO system. The second part of the week explores domestic and international measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to and including measures designed to influence the behaviour of trading partners. In drawing lessons from WTO and GATT decisions on subsidies, border tax adjustments and regulatory issues, controversial issues such as tariffs on environmental goods will be addressed, as will the relationship between international environmental agreements and trade law.

This course starts with an in-depth examination of the law and economics of trade in services at both the multilateral and regional levels and addresses key outstanding sectoral and rule-making challenges in services negotiations. The course then focuses on the rapidly evolving landscape of investment rules and litigation under bilateral investment treaties and preferential trade agreements. It also explores prospects for the development of a truly multilateral regime for investment.

This course focuses on the science of negotiation and on the analysis, advocacy, and negotiating that leads to international agreements on investment and trade-related issues. It will look at the policy process at home and abroad, political advocacy tools and techniques to assure support for desired outcomes and the skills needed to complete successful negotiations. Teaching methods include lectures, cases studies and simulation exercises to create a ‘real world’ experience.