WTO Accession and Sustainable Development: Post-Soviet Countries Assess Perspectives. 
Agriculture, Trade liberalization and Sustainable Development: Implications for Economies in Transition
New Publications
 Assessment of the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic concerning the participation in the World Trade Organization." Bishkek, 2009. (in Russian)The publication has been prepared by Independent Ecological Expertise within the framework of the activity of the EECCA Trade and Sustainable Development Network. The paper analyzes Kyrgyzstan's participation in the WTO and to proposals for more effective use of membership in this organization for sustainable human development |
 WTO and Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia: Accomodation of Interest, Dushanbe, 2010. (in Russian) Publication has been prepared by the "Foundation to Support Civic Initiatives" (Tajikistan) within the framework of the activity of the EECCA Trade and Sustainable Development Network. The booklet contains information on the accession of Tajikistan to the WTO from the perspective of sustainable development, as well as interlinkages between international trade and sustainable development |
Program Description
“Globalization, the WTO and the NIS: Broadening Dialogue for Sustainable Human Development”
Currently the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS) are facing the immediate problem of integration into world-wide economic structures, and particularly into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Governments of the region's countries consider their accession to the WTO as a major precondition for becoming part of the international division of labor, attracting investments and accelerating economic growth. However, could WTO accession alone guarantee economic prosperity? Or alternatively, as some skeptics consider, will WTO membership lead to the destruction of national industries, fuelling unemployment and poverty and depriving a country of its national sovereignty?
Would these processes favor environmental degradation and exhaustion of natural resources or, on the contrary, would they promote environmental improvements and attract environmentally-friendly technologies to the country? How should one maximize the potential benefits of WTO accession to speed up the transition to sustainable development and abate possible adverse impacts? What strong national development policies can be crafted to promote equitable, sustainable development and social justice, without conflicting with the WTO objectives?
The program “Globalization, WTO and New Independent States: Broadening Dialogue for Sustainable Development” is devoted to these important, 
but complicated and complex issues. In the framework of this program information and awareness activities, analytical work and multistakeholders discussions (with participation of non-governmental organizations, experts, governmental institutions, trade unions, business associations) took place both at the regional level (Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia) and in countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
In 2002-2006 4 regional workshops, 34 national workshops, multistakeholders discussions and dialogues took place, 9 background papers, 2 regional reviews, 16 countries reports on WTO and sustainable development were prepared in cooperation with national focal points and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and with support of Ford Foundation and Novib (Oxfam-NL). Workshops were organized at V WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong (December 2005) and Civil G8 Forums (2006).
At the first stage (2002-2003) risks and benefits of the WTO accession from sustainable development perspectives were discussed.
At the second stage, in 2004-2005 the program had a special focus on agricultural aspects of the WTO accession/membership.
In 2006-2009 public monitoring of WTO accession and membership process will be continued. Among priority subjects will be trade in services and access to basic services for people; trade and investments for sustainable development; trade and environment.
For more information, please, contact Olga Ponizova: ponizova@leadnet.ru.