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...

This paper explores the kinds of demands governments in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) could and should be formulating and submitting in the context of the e-commerce negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as well as any current or proposed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) they are...

Slowly but steadily Syria is emerging from several decades of economic seclusion. Syria currently finds itself in a period of cautious albeit unprecedented engagement with the global economy. These efforts are personified in terms of greater engagement within the region, manifested by its...

As the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) prepares to debate a draft trade policy (the first in the young nation’s history) in the next few months, this is as good a time as any to review the broader economic development context in which this policy was framed and to reviews...

A number of legislative frameworks and policies exercise various constraints on access to the Internet for certain goods, services, and other content. Some of these are recognized by most, if not all market participants as legitimate (data protection laws, measures to combat fraud, as well as...

This Commentary briefly discusses the WTO dispute between the United States and Turkey over the latter's rice import regime. The ruling could have very important implications for the import regimes of other countries and could represent the opening salvo in a campaign to bring other WTO Members...

This Commentary briefly discusses the new bill introduced by Senators Baucus and Hatch to provide better monitoring and enforcement of intellectual property protection in countries whose IP regimes are deemed to be especially lax and damaging to US economic interests. The new bill is the latest...

The present paper shares some of the author's thoughts on WTO accession after several years of observing and analyzing the WTO as an institution, a set of agreements and a place where countries meet to battle it out with one another in pursuit of their own jealously protected national interests....