International Association for Impact Assessment

Integrated Assessment of Trade-Related Policies

Edited By: Anne Hardon

Overview & History

  • Promote the adoption of integrated assessment of trade-related policies
  • Provide a forum for discussion of best practices
  • Advance understanding of the relationships between trade policy, trade negotiations, environmental impact, and sustainable development
  • Promote impact assessment of trade related policies as a tool to improve decision making and promote sustainable development 

 

Overview

This IAIA Section manages the trade impact stream at the annual IAIA conferences, bringing together experts from government, private sector, NGOs, consulting and academia to discuss the latest developments in IATRP. Members of IATRP are also involved with outreach to improve networks of trade impact assessment professionals.  
 

History

IATRP has collaborated in the past with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), World Bank, the Organisation of American States (OAS), Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, European Commission and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in bringing together many experts in integrated assessment of Trade. 

Conferences

27th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment: Growth, Conservation and Responsibility Seoul, Korea 2007- Two session and a Panel focused on IATRP activities

29th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment: Impact Assessment and Human Well-Being Accra, Ghana 2009- Poster session on Canada's Approach to assessing the impacts of trade policy (poster and handout below) by Rachelle Besner, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 


30th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment: The Role of Impact Assessment in Transitioning to the Green Economy http://www.iaia.org/iaia10/default.aspx

Journal Special Issues

<p>Published first IAPA Special Issue on Impact Assessment of Trade, December 2006. The Journal highlighted the following articles:<br />  </p> <ul> <li>Introduction: Impact Assessment of trade-related policies and agreements: experiences and challenges- Clive George and Bernice Goldsmith</li> <li>NAFTA Commission for Environmental Cooperation: ongoing assessment of trade liberalization in North America- Chantal Line Carpentier</li> <li>United Nations Environmental Programme’s approach to integrated assessment of trade-related policies: evolution and recent progress- JJ Kessler and H Abaza</li> <li>Sustainability Impact Assessment of trade policy and its application in the context of Latin America- Hernan Blanco</li> <li>Assessing biodiversity impacts of trade: a review of challenges in the agriculture sector- JR Treweek, Claire Brown and Philip Bubb</li> <li>Integrated assessment of trade-related policies: agriculture trade liberalisation and the Convention to Combat Desertification- Karel Mayrand</li> <li>Environmental Assessment of Canadian trade and investment negotiations- Rachel McCormick, Jaye Shtuttleworth and Shenjie Chen</li> <li>Methodological issues in the impact assessment of trade policy: experience from the European Commission’s Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) programme- Colin Kirkpatrick and Clive George</li> <li>Making Trade sustainable impact assessment more relevant to trade negotiations- Tancrede Voituriez, Paul Ekins, Hernan Blanco, Ingmar von Homeyer and Dirk Scheer</li> </ul>

Other Publications

SEA for the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union Since 2001, NCEA has been involved in a regional project of the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) and IUCN (World Conservation Union). The following countries are participating: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, with the aim of harmonising and strengthening Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) practice in the region. NCEA has contributed to several SEA workshops and facilitated the selection of an SEA pilot: an SEA for an association agreement between the European Union and Central America, which started in 2007 and is discussed below. An association agreement is a combination of a trade agreement and an agreement on future cooperation and dialogue. The pilot also intends to contribute to SEA capacity development and to analysis of the link between environment and trade.

Note:

Special thanks to Rachelle Besner for providing initial content for this IAIA Wiki topic.