This is from the Center for Trade and Economic Integration (CTEI) at the Graduate Institute in Geneva:
The Center for Trade and Economic Integration (CTEI) at the Graduate Institute in Geneva announces the release of a new edited book by Joost Pauwelyn and Mengyi Wang, entitled "Building Legal Capacity for a More Inclusive Globalization: Barriers to and Best Practices for Integrating Developing Countries into Global Economic Regulation."
The book examines capacity constraints and building efforts in international economic law, focusing specifically on the obstacles and opportunities for small stakeholders to fruitfully participate in the negotiation, implementation, and enforcement of trade and investment treaties. These small stakeholders include smaller economies and less powerful actors within bigger economies. Analytically rigorous and empirically grounded, the book covers cross-cutting observations (trade and investment negotiation), sector-specific analysis (agri-food sector), notable existing and proposed capacity initiatives (TradeLab, the ACWL, and an investment law counterpart of the ACWL), and comparative case studies (China, India, African LDCs, and Arab countries).
Many contributors in this book have played key roles in awareness and capacity building around the globe over the past several decades. For instance, several contributors have been involved in the www.TradeLab.org project, which established a network of pro-bono legal clinics throughout the world where students, with the guidance of professors and mentors, assist developing countries, SMEs and NGOs navigate the international economic law regime.
Current debates surrounding the distribution of benefits from international economic law instruments, such as trade and investment treaties, makes release of the book particularly timely. This book makes the case that the uneven distribution of benefits that has upended domestic and international politics is firmly rooted in a lack of awareness and capacity (broadly defined, beyond the availability of pro bono legal advice) on the part of small stakeholders to advance their interests; it takes one step further and asks what can be done to fill this capacity gap, learning from both successes in some countries (e.g. China and India) and failures elsewhere (e.g. Africa and Arab countries). Given the current debates about the role and status of developing countries in the international trade regime, this book's release could not have better timing.
Putting their money where their mouth is, the editors and contributors decided to self-publish the book (via the CTEI, on amazon.com), which now makes it available at a very low, paperback version price of $6.59, to everyone. A kindle version is available too.
