Trade and Environment Review 2003

The Doha Ministerial Declaration and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, adopted by the World Summit on Sustainable Development, reiterated the major role that trade can play in achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty. At the same time, there has been growing recognition, including in the context of preparations for UNCTAD XI, of the need to integrate environmental and social aspects into development strategies.

Developing countries, however, are apprehensive that the subject of trade and environment issues is driven by developed countries' Governments and non-governmental organizations from the north, on the basis of developed countries' producer and consumer preferences, circumstances and visions, without sufficient heed being paid to conditions in developing countries and the latter's development priorities.

This Review addresses this concern by tackling trade and environment issues from a development perspective. It also attempts to provide developing countries' Governments and civil society with a forum, in which to discuss their most important trade and environment issues and from which to influence the international agenda.