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TAS Outreach

A central objective of the Trade, Aid and Security initiative is to translate our recommendations into effective policies that reduce the risk of conflict in the developing world.

Our findings have been presented at a number of different fora, including the International Development Committee of the U.K. Parliament, the European Union and the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong in December 2005. A book of collated essays book was published by Earthscan in February 2007. Book launches are being held in Strasbourg, Geneva, Ottawa and Washington.

The following materials outline the workshops, speeches and presentations where IISD/IUCN have presented policy recommendations for more effective and conflict-sensitive trade and aid policies.

• Book launch video: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington » Oli Brown, July 2007 On July 11, 2007 Oli Brown presented IISD-IUCN's new book: "Trade, Aid and Security: an agenda for peace and development" at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. A video of event, which was chaired by Kent Hughes of the Center, is available here and a podcast of Oli speaking about the book is available here.

• Commonwealth Ministers Reference Book, 2007 - Trade, Aid and Security: an agenda for peace and development (PDF - 154 kb) » Oli Brown, May 2007 In this article for the Commonwealth Ministers Reference Book (CMRB), IISD project manager Oli Brown explores the links among trade, aid and conflict. The CMRB is the flagship annual publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat and is distributed to every government minister in the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. Previous authors for the CMRB include Professors Joseph Stiglitz and Jeffrey Sachs, and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair.

• Good Times on the Commodity Price Rollercoaster: But how long can they last? (PDF - 230 kb) » Oli Brown, Jason Gibson, August 2006 Commodity prices are at historic highs but are commodity-dependent countries prepared should the bubble burst? Oli Brown and Jason Gibson explore the social and environmental impacts of commodity price volatility, calling for renewed efforts toward revenue stabilization.

• Continental Drift: Fractured multilateralism, regional trade agreements and the prospects for peace (PDF - 242 kb)
  With the WTO faltering and the Doha development round in trouble, regionalism is on the rise. Oli Brown investigates the security implications of the growth of regional trade agreements in this presentation which was given at the biennial conference of the International Peace Research Association in Calgary, Canada, in June 2006.

• Aiding, Trading or Abetting? Trade and aid in an insecure world (PDF - 228) » Oli Brown, 2006 On May 12, 2006, Oli Brown gave this presentation at the Peacebuilding and human security dialogue hosted by Foreign Affairs Canada in Ottawa.

• Trade, Aid and the Millennium Development Goals: Reaching the goals in an insecure world (PDF - 188 kb)
  This February 2006 commentary by IISD Project Manager, Oli Brown, reviews the world's progress towards the 2015 Millennium Development Goals. He argues that the MDGs will never be achieved unless the international community tackles the elements of its trade and aid policies which undermine security and set back development.

• International Development Committee Inquiry – Written Evidence, February 2006 (PDF - 79 kb)
  This short paper was submitted as written evidence for the IDC's inquiry on "Conflict and Development." TAS Project Manager Oli Brown was called as a witness to the inquiry and was cross-questioned by the IDC, a cross-party committee of U.K. MPs, in February 2006.

• Security, Development and Forest Conflict: Reducing the trade in conflict resources & Fostering responsible business in fragile states, February 2006 (PDF - 583 kb)
  This presentation was made at the Forum on Security, Development and Forest Conflict hosted by the International Crisis Group and Fiona Hall MEP. The presentation focuses on ways to restrict the trade in conflict resources and foster conflict-sensitive business practice in fragile states.

• Aid, Trade and the Millennium Development Goals: Prospects after Hong Kong - February 2006 (PDF - 51 kb)
  Oli Brown gave this speech at a Chatham House conference titled "The WTO and the Sustainable Development Agenda: Prospects after Hong Kong" in February 2006.

• Trade, Aid and Security at the Hong Kong Ministerial, December 2005
  The results and recommendations of the Trade, Aid and Security initiative were presented at an open session of the Hong Kong Trade and Development Symposium on December 16, 2005. Click here for outlines of the presentations and events IISD prepared for the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting.

• A New Spring for the UN? Kofi Annan unveils ambitious agenda - April 2005 (PDF - 166 kb)
  This commentary by IISD Project Manager, Oli Brown, reviews the suggested reforms to the United Nations appearing in Kofi Annan's report, "In Larger Freedom" and makes the case for the developed world's adoption of more conflict-sensitive trade policies.

• Policy Submission on Aid Policy for the UN International Meeting on Small Island Developing States - January 2005 (PDF - 55 kb)
  This submission to the January 2005 UN meeting on Small Island Developing States, by IISD Project manager Oli Brown, makes the case for more effective, conflict-sensitive aid policy in small island developing states, and offers policy options for how this might be achieved.

• Cutting our Losses? Reducing the illegal trade in natural resources, Bangkok - November 2004 (PDF - 449 kb)
  A report from a workshop discussing policy responses to the illegal trade in natural resources, arranged by IISD and held at the World Conservation Congress in Bangkok, November 2004.

• Environment and Conflict: IISD and IUCN CEESP Trade, Aid and Security Initiative Bringing International Experts Together - October 2004
  This press release marks the first meeting of the Advisory Committee for the Trade, Aid and Security Initiative.

• The Hague Conference on Environment, Security and Sustainable Development - May 9-12, 2004 | Peace Palace, The Hague (PDF - 18 kb)
  The IISD/IUCN booklet "Trade, Aid and Security – Elements of a Positive Paradigm" was launched at this conference on environment and security in the Hague.

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