Calendar of WTI/UNITAR e-Learning Courses in 2010

Introduction to the World Trading System (March 1 to April 9 2010)

Duration: 6 Weeks
Language: English
Instructors: Prof. T. Cottier (WTI/NCCR Trade Regulation, University of Bern), Prof. S. Evenett (University of St. Gallen), Prof. K. Nadakavukaren Schefer (University of Basel)

This foundation course provides an overview of the nexus of WTO law and the underlying economics and political economy of international trade relations to officials and professionals in charge of trade related issues, as well as to other stakeholders. It focuses on the legal parameters and evolution of the GATT and WTO Agreements while also investigating basic economic and political economy models and key empirical findings.

The course begins with a discussion of the history and evolution of international trade regulation from mercantilism to the set-up of the WTO. It provides a historical and institutional overview of the GATT WTO system in order to understand the advent of the multilateral trading system of the WTO from a historic perspective.

The second part aims at understanding the economic foundations of international trade and the economic analysis of trade policies. It focuses on developing a better appreciation of the case for and against trade liberalisation and international trade rules. Also, the factors that account for the observed pace of unilateral, regional, and multilateral reforms the various notions of reciprocity and the underlying basis for negotiating trade agreements are discussed.

The third part explains the institutional structure and scope of the WTO legal system, such as the Uruguay Round Agreements, and its basic legal principles, such as Most Favoured Nation, National Treatment, Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers. The organization, membership and decision-making are discussed in order to gain an oversight of the main instruments of the multilateral trading system of the WTO and to develop an awareness of some of its major political controversies.

The objective of this course is to introduce participants to the legal, economic, and other conceptual underpinnings and principles of the rule-based multilateral trading system. The course has been designed so as to enable participants to better understand not just the legal, economic, and diplomatic perspectives of trade rules but also their interaction. Developing a sophisticated, inter-disciplinary perspective is, therefore, a central goal of this course.

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Trade and Climate Change (31 May to 25 June 2010)

Duration: 4 Weeks
Language: English
Instructors: Dr A. E. Appleton (Appleton Luff), Dr O. Nartova (WTI/NCCR Trade Regulation, University of Bern)

Climate change is one of the most important international issues facing the world today. One controversial element of the climate change debate is the relationship between trade agreements and  measures to mitigate the effects of climate change. This course explores key legal and economic issues arising from the climate change debate, including the relationship between the WTO Agreement and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) that address climate change. The course examines the legality under international trade rules of domestic and international trade measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as measures designed to influence the behaviour of trading partners. Issues addressed include: subsidies and countervailing duties, border tax adjustments, the use of technical regulations and standards to address climate change, how the WTO Agreement treats process and production methods (PPMs) that emit greenhouse gas emissions, and the WTO negotiations on environmental goods and services. Particular attention will be devoted to developing country concerns, including the economic implications for developing countries of WTO rules and MEAs affecting climate change, as well as intellectual property protection issues and technology transfer, including their role in mitigation and adaptation strategies.

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Managed Mobility: Trade, Migration and Labour Movement (13 September to 8 October 2010)

Duration: 4 Weeks
Language: English
Instructor: Prof. M. Panizzon (WTI/NCCR Trade Regulation, University of Bern)

The aim of this course is for trade, migration and government officials in relevant agencies as well as experts in civil society and the research community to gain an overview of the different international institutions, multilateral treaties and bilateral agreements governing labour migration.

The course focuses particular attention on the treatment of labour mobility in trade agreements, so-called Mode 4 of GATS. The course discusses the reasons behind the lack of meaningful Mode 4 commitments to date, particularly with regard to low-skill services occupations, and discusses various reform proposals such as the plurilateral request and the LDC group request formulated in the context of the WTO's Doha Round.

The course also draws lessons from bilateral migration management agreements and how they address various migratory risks facing host and source countries alike, such as overstaying workers, irregular entries, brain drain, worker exploitation, human smuggling and trafficking. Economic partnership agreements are also reviewed for their regulatory advances over Mode 4 of GATS on issues such as migrant worker return, skill testing, mutual recognition of qualifications, joint occupational shortage lists, fast-tracking of visa applications, pro-mobility visas etc.

Finally, the course presents a number of new soft law instruments, such as the Global Commission on International Migration (2005) Final Report (2005), the IOM International Agenda for Migration Management (IAMM), the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in rounding up its analysis of the provisions for managing labour mobility.

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New Frontiers in Agricultural Trade Regulation (15 November to 10 December 2010)

Duration: 4 Weeks
Language: English
Instructor: Dr Ch. Häberli (WTI/NCCR Trade Regulation, University of Bern)

The field of agriculture trade raises a host of connected issues, such as food security and food safety, environmental and other consumer concerns. It is also one where the extensive degree of domestic regulation needs to be taken into account in the negotiations. There is, as well, often a gap in policy formulation between national development objectives and the role of agricultural trade in the pursuit of these objectives. Agriculture is not only one of the most sensitive negotiating issues, it is also one of those subjects where a simple North-South presentation of interests is clearly a recipe for failure. The new frontiers of agricultural production and trade regulation must be taken into account in all agricultural negotiations.

This course targets officials in trade, agriculture and other sectoral ministries and regulatory agencies involved in the design and conduct of agricultural policy and negotiations on agricultural trade at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. It also targets representatives from the private sector, industry associations and other non-governmental entities with an interest in the formulation of agricultural production and trade policy. The course assumes that participants are already familiar with the basic concepts, principles and legal provisions of the principal agreements governing trade in agriculture. Its central focus is more on the preparation and conduct of agricultural negotiations rather than on the substance of trade in agriculture. In a similar vein, the issue is not one of policy objectives but of implementation measures and their impact on competitiveness and trade and, in a larger context, on sustainable development.

The course offers practitioners a set of tools with which to better situate the role and limits of trade negotiations on agriculture against the broader canvass of national development objectives.

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