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Trade and Security

Papers and case studies that investigate the relationship between trade policy and security in the developing world.

• Boom or Bust: Developing countries' rough ride on the commodity price rollercoaster (PDF - 432 kb) » Oli Brown, Jason Gibson, 2006 Commodity prices, at historic highs by mid-2006, are becoming increasingly volatile. Volatile prices complicate fiscal and environmental planning and undermine the livelihoods of millions of producers in the developing world. Are commodity-dependent countries prepared should the price bubble burst? This paper describes the impacts of commodity price volatility and argues for new measures to stabilize commodity revenues for countries as well as producers.

• Regional Integration, Trade and Conflict in Latin America (PDF - 426 kb) » Alejandra Ruiz-Dana, Peter Goldschagg, Edmundo Claro, Hernán Blanco RIDES, Santiago, Chile, 2007 This paper analyzes the impact of regional trade integration on conflict and conflict prevention in Latin America. It focuses in particular on the evolution and institutions of Mercosur and the Andean community.

• Regional Integration, Trade and Conflict in Southern Africa (PDF - 266 kb) » Dr Mzukisi Qobo, South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA), Johannesburg, South Africa, 2007 This paper analyzes the impact of regional trade integration on conflict and conflict prevention in southern Africa. It focuses in particular on the evolution and institutions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

• Regional Integration, Trade and Conflict in South Asia (PDF - 323 kb) » The Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2007 This paper analyzes the impact of regional trade integration on conflict and conflict prevention in South Asia. It focuses in particular on the evolution and institutions of three South Asian Regional Trading Agreements: SAARC, SAPTA, SAFTA.

• Regional integration, trade and conflict in Southeast Asia (PDF - 361 kb) » The Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Singapore, 2007 This paper analyzes the impact of regional trade integration on conflict and conflict prevention in Southeast Asia. It focuses in particular on the evolution and institutions of ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).

• Regional Trade Agreements: promoting conflict or building peace? (PDF - 274 kb) » Oli Brown, Faisal Haq Shaheen, Shaheen Rafi Khan, Moeed Yusuf, 2005 Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) have become a defining feature of the modern economy and a powerful force for globalization. The example of the European Union shows that RTAs can build prosperity and peace. However, RTAs can be divisive and exclusive, their terms can hinder development or even trigger violent conflict. This paper analyses the role that Regional Trade Agreements can play in building, or undermining, peace between and within countries.

• Developing an EU strategy to address fragile states: priorities for the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005 (PDF - 631 kb) » International Alert, 2005 This paper, co-authored by Saferworld and International Alert with a contribution from IISD, is directed at the UK, which will asssume the Presidency of the European Union in July 2005. It aims to encourage more conflict-sensitive engagement with fragile states by carefully assessing current EU trade, development and diplomatic policies and making detailed recommendations for how EU policies could be more supportive of peacebuilding in fragile states.

• EU Trade Policy and Conflict (PDF - 210 kb) » Oli Brown, 2005 As the world's largest trading bloc, the EU's trade policy has a profound influence on security in the developing world. This paper investigates the impact of the EU's trade policy on violent conflict in the south, the leverage the EU can exert through trade to promote peace and the "export" of the trade-security benefits of the EU.

• Investing in Stability: Conflict Risk, Environmental Challenges and the Bottom-Line (PDF - 1.4 mb) » John Bray, Jason Switzer, Hussels Mareike, Daniel Wagner and Michael Kelly, 2004 The aim of this document is to stimulate debate on the interactions between finance and conflict, and to explore opportunities to improve financial institutions' management of these interactions. Concerning itself principally with voluntary actions, this collection of papers seeks to identify mechanisms whereby firms could help to reduce the economic drivers and impacts of violence and terrorism, in areas where profitability and social responsibility align.

• Investing in Stability: Conflict Risk, Markets and the Bottom-Line (PDF - 1.5 mb) » UNEP FI and IISD, 2003 Drawing on research and the results of two workshops, this brochure maps out our understanding of the positive and negative linkages between finance and conflict, and explores some of the voluntary actions the financial sector could take to promote peace. The project was funded by the German Environment Ministry (BMU).

• Conflicting Interests: Introduction to Business and Conflict (PDF - 426 kb) » Jason Switzer, 2002 Written for the Environment Council's business periodical elements, this article outlines the relationship between private sector activities and political instability. The author argues that proactive investment in conflict resolution may be a more cost-efficient way for firms to manage conflict than traditional protective and/or reactive measures.

• Armed Conflict and Natural Resources: The case of the Minerals Sector (PDF - 284 kb) » Jason Switzer, 2001 As a "frontier activity" often requiring entry into undisturbed ecosystems and traditional subsistence communities, mining operations have become increasingly associated with violent conflict. This article examines the linkages between the mining industry and conflict, focusing on the types of interventions that mining companies, governments and interested non-state actors can use proactively to prevent or resolve social tension.

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