Systemic Alternatives

AdminApril 25, 2022April 25, 2022

Reconocimiento del río Magdalena, su cuenca y afluentes como sujeto de derechos

Por Alejandra Nuñez del Prado La cuenca del Magdalena está conformada por las regiones Andina y Caribe, con una superficie de 257.000 Km2. Entre los departamentos colombianos del Huila y Cauca, la cordillera de los Andes se divide en el llamado Nudo de los Pastos, una intrincada masa montañosa generadora del río Magdalena con un sistema fluvial de características únicas, notable por su localización en … Continue reading Reconocimiento del río Magdalena, su cuenca y afluentes como sujeto de derechos

English, Mother Earth Rights, Nature, Pablo Solón

Chile approves the Rights of Nature

By Pablo Solón [Español – Português] A little over two years have passed since my last visit to Chile. At the end of 2019, Plaza Baquedano, which at that time was renamed Plaza de la Dignidad, was full of youth, indignation, tear gas, blood and hope. Now I feel that the spirit and hope have been transferred to the new government of Gabriel Boric and … Continue reading Chile approves the Rights of Nature

AdminMarch 17, 2022March 20, 20225 Comments

Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig, Reflexiones Sistémicas

The WTO and the havoc in the global supreme court of free trade

by Mary Louise Malig Read the publication in full here Content: Introduction Breaking down the Dispute Settlement Mechanism Bully capitalism versus the Appellate Body The interim dysfunctional way of settling disputes and the reform proposals The barely functioning and non-functional pillars of the WTO Introduction Back in 1995, when the World Trade Organization (WTO) had just started, it was the talk of the town. This … Continue reading The WTO and the havoc in the global supreme court of free trade

AdminMarch 8, 2022

Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig, Reflexiones Sistémicas

The barely functioning and non-functional pillars of the WTO

As mentioned earlier, the WTO has three pillars to keep it running, to monitoring trade policies globally, provide a forum for negotiations on new issues, and to enforce the 60 plus agreements under the WTO and settle disputes between Member states. The functioning of these three pillars is crucial, and although it may sound simple: negotiations for new trade rules, monitoring and resolving disputes, none … Continue reading The barely functioning and non-functional pillars of the WTO

AdminMarch 8, 2022

AdminMarch 8, 2022March 8, 2022

The interim dysfunctional way of settling disputes and the reform proposals

The current dysfunctional process of settling disputes in the WTO stops at the phase of Panel Reports because it cannot go to the phase of Appellate Body for appeals since there are no sitting judges at the Appellate Body. This has been wreaking havoc in the WTO secretariat and membership as the DSM pillar is supposed to be the assurance of trade rules being guaranteed … Continue reading The interim dysfunctional way of settling disputes and the reform proposals

Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig, Reflexiones Sistémicas

Bully capitalism versus the Appellate Body

In an US election year, then President Obama as represented by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) began a risky precedent. That 2016, the US blocked the reappointment of Appellate Body jurist Seung Wha Chang. Chang was up for a reappointment as the norm is that the jurists serve for four year terms that can be renewed once. The US complained that Chang was responsible … Continue reading Bully capitalism versus the Appellate Body

AdminMarch 8, 2022

Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig, Reflexiones Sistémicas

Breaking down the Dispute Settlement Mechanism

Breaking it down to sections, it can be noted that there are stages to this process: the first is the consultation process, second the review and reporting of the panel body then the Appellate Body from which comes the recommendation and ways on the implementation of the ruling which may include sanctions, countermeasures, retaliatory measures or compensations. In some cases, Arbitrators are involved in the … Continue reading Breaking down the Dispute Settlement Mechanism

AdminMarch 7, 20221 Comment

AdminNovember 28, 2021November 29, 2021

The anachronism of the World Trade Organization

Mary Louise Malig* The 12th Ministerial of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is finally taking place in Switzerland in a moment when this country has banned all flights from the South Africa region and established a ten-day quarantine for all persons coming from this part of the world plus Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium because of the Omicron variant.[1] Update: Latest news: the 12th Ministerial … Continue reading The anachronism of the World Trade Organization

English, Mary Louise Malig

“America is back” and it’s ominously reviving the crisis-riddled WTO

By: Mary Louise Malig* US President Biden has stated on a few occasions that, “America is back” reinforcing the message that the US is going to repair relationships with allies and institutions. Biden immediately re-entered the US into the Paris Climate Accord. He also reassured the World Health Organization (WHO) that the US was back on board. Biden and the new administration were and are … Continue reading “America is back” and it’s ominously reviving the crisis-riddled WTO

mlou88April 7, 2021March 17, 2022

A Study of Rights of Nature in the European context

“This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the JURI Committee, explores the concept of “Rights of Nature” (RoN) and its different aspects in legal philosophy and international agreements, as well as in legislation and case-law on different levels. The study delves on the ideas of rights ofnature in comparison with rights to nature, … Continue reading A Study of Rights of Nature in the European context

mlou88March 31, 2021

AdminFebruary 17, 20211 Comment

Leer a Piketty I: Un resumen conciso y exhaustivo de Capital e Ideología

de Walden Bello english here En este resumen, Walden Bello condensa las ideas y datos clave contenidos en la monumental obra de Thomas Piketty El capital y la ideología. El economista francés merece ser leído por más gente, pero muchos no tienen ni el tiempo ni la energía para recorrer este extenso clásico de 1.215 páginas. Este breve volumen está motivado por la convicción de que … Continue reading Leer a Piketty I: Un resumen conciso y exhaustivo de Capital e Ideología

mlou88March 22, 2021

English, Various

The paradigm of care

Raffaella Bollini

[Español] In the last days on the media has been given prominence to a recent discovery: on the contrary of what for a long time has been believed, Neanderthal women were hunters as well as men, and artists.

The ancient and more and more pressing question returns: when did the human being begin to build the hierarchy that governs the world, the one that puts the man above the woman, the dominant man above the dominated, the human being above nature? Where does our destructive lust for power and domination stem from, which is driving us straight into ecocide and suicide?

Conclusions

[Español] Digital Trade is not new, in fact, it has been around since the nineties. Digital trade, to use the narrowest definition of e-commerce, is the sale and purchase of goods and services via the internet of which they are delivered digitally. Many argue that even if the whole process happened online, if the end product is a physical good, then it is not digital … Continue reading Conclusions

Part 4: The Digital Economy: There is more to it than trade

[Español] The Digital Economy is a much broader spectrum and digital trade is just a part of it. Digital economy involves new technologies, faster infrastructure and a whole lot more skilled workers in technology and other significant areas. Just see the figure below: Digital Technologies that are already here or coming real soon 1. Blockchain technologies Blockchain technologies are a form of distributed ledger … Continue reading Part 4: The Digital Economy: There is more to it than trade

Part 3: The State of Play on the debate on the Rules

[Español] As early as 1998, the World Trade Organization (WTO) had issued a Ministerial Declaration on Global Electronic Commerce at the Second WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Simply recognizing that global electronic commerce was growing and that therefore the WTO needed to have a work program to discuss rules that would govern this new form of trade. The most significant impact of this Ministerial … Continue reading Part 3: The State of Play on the debate on the Rules

Analysis, Economic, English

Part 2: The Digital Platform Economy and Who Owns It

[Español] To understand the digital platform economy better, this paper breaks down below the various types of platforms, how data changes from raw material to monetized good in the digital value chain and how the discussion on digital trade should not be limited to whether or not tariffs are to be imposed on electronic goods and services but rather, more importantly, should include the complex … Continue reading Part 2: The Digital Platform Economy and Who Owns It

Part 1: What is Digital Trade?

[Español] Digital trade as traditional trade, is a part of the larger picture of the economy. Digital trade is part of the growing digital economy and affects the non-digital larger economy. Digital trade is not new. However, despite it being around for a while, there is no definitive definition and scope globally agreed upon. This has led to lack of consensus and a plethora of … Continue reading Part 1: What is Digital Trade?