Implemented jointly by ICTSD and the World Economic Forum , the E15Initiative convenes world-class experts and institutions to generate strategic analysis and recommendations for government, business and civil society geared towards strengthening the global trade and investment system for sustainable development. The Expert Group on Global Value Chains is co-convened with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) . Global value chains have brought about important changes for the world trading system, not just in the structure and composition of trade but also in their implications for the role of the WTO. The speed of change in the 21st century is accelerating. More statistical and analytical information on how world trade and investment is being carried out, together with the implications of these changes for individual countries and their trade and development paths, is needed to understand these changes better. At present a gulf exists between the trade policy community in Geneva and the business community at home in dealing with these issues. More dialogue and policy research is needed. This publication is one step in the direction of starting to close the gap between trade and investment practices and the normative framework within which they take place so that it does...
Written by Sherry M. Stephenson