Section outline

  • 16 April 2010
    Palais des Nations, ROOM XXV

    Trade agreements between developing and developed countries

    Bilateral trade agreements (BTAs) and regional trade agreements (RTAs) have proliferated worldwide to become a prominent feature of today's trading environment. While RTAs have become increasingly powerful in liberalizing trade in goods and services, BTAs are flourishing between developed countries, and between developed and developing countries. A key policy challenge for developing countries that negociate RTAs and BTAs is to maximize the beneficial effects of such processes for development. Another is to ensure coherence in the approach amid the bilateral, regional, interregional and multilateral processes. This course seeks to explore key policy challenges for developing countries engaged in trade agreements with developed countries; recent trends and context of the current economic crisis. It will also analyse developments related to the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States.

    Delivered by: Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities