In association with the International Commission of Jurists

Trade & Economic Law

21 Jan

[Beichen Ding is a PhD Candidate in Law at the World Trade Institute, University of Bern] This post was originally written as a reflection for the PhD Workshop “Current Dynamics and Challenges of Contemporary Trade Policy and Regulatory Frameworks” by World Trade Institute, University of Bern. The analysis is inspired by the workshop lectures, in particular the ideas shared by Professor...

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13 Jan

[Sarah Saadoun is a senior advisor on economic inequality at Human Rights Watch] Diplomats from dozens of countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, in November for a new round of negotiations on a United Nations treaty for international tax cooperation. The scene itself is important: representatives from across the globe meeting in an African capital, under the UN’s auspices, to shape economic...

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12 Jan

[Kartik Sharma is an undergraduate law student at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru and an analyst at SpicyIP] The first sentence of Article 1.1 of the TRIPS agreement requires members to ‘give effect to the provisions’ of TRIPS. Its exact meaning found centre-stage in a WTO dispute between the European Union and China, wherein Chinese courts were issuing anti-suit...

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22 Dec

[Jason Beckett is an associate professor of law at the American University in Cairo] Introduction The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) recently released an analysis of Egypt’s proposed budget for 2025-6, titled, “Egypt in the Grip of Debt”. It is a gloomy read, documenting Egypt’s ongoing immiseration, but concludes with a strangely sentimental optimism. “After all, the state’s role is not...

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02 Dec

[Hryhorii Turshukov is a research associate and teaching assistant at the Institute for European Law and the Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) at KU Leuven, Belgium] In light of ongoing efforts to revive full-fledged peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the question of sanctions inevitably arises. Although sanctions will likely be considered within the broader framework of peace talks, it remains...

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02 Dec

[Bernadette Lumbela is a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg] The Trump administration’s shifts in U.S. foreign economic policy have had far-reaching global effects. While many countries have felt the impact of tariffs, two measures are particularly concerning for countries with lower income: cuts to USAID (United States Agency for International...

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28 Oct

[Jyotsna Manohar is an international trade lawyer who holds an LLM in transnational law from King’s College London] Welcome to the Cafeteria of Global Trade Sometimes the most striking political commentaries come not from political thrillers or dystopian dramas but from a 97-minute comedy targeted towards a teenage audience. This is certainly the case with 2004’s Mean Girls, a movie in which...

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06 Feb

[Anoush der Boghossian is the Head of the Trade and Gender Office in the World Trade Organization (WTO). She is also the Founder and Chair of the WTO Gender Research Hub, recognized trainer and researcher on trade policy and gender equality.] What is leadership? Is it about influence and impact? Is it about efficiency and power? Or is it something else?  Leadership...

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06 Apr

[William Worster has taught public international law, the law of international organizations and international migration and refugee law at The Hague University of Applied Sciences for more than fifteen years] By now, many states have concluded that there is a risk that any arms they export to Israel may be misused to violate international humanitarian or human rights law. This predicted...

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15 Feb

[Johanna Trittenbach is a PhD Candidate at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University.  Jessica Dorsey is an Assistant Professor of International Law at Utrecht University and Otto Spijkers is a Lecturer of International Law at Amsterdam and Leiden University College (AUC and LUC).] Introduction On 12 February 2024, the Court of Appeal in The Hague ordered the Netherlands...

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28 Nov

I don't think there's any part of international law that isn't integrated and fully embedded within capitalism.Margot Salomon Margot Salomon is a sought-after voice in the field of international law. She has a long history of challenging the conventional wisdom upon which international economic law is structured. I first encountered her work during my PhD and have been an avid reader...

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26 Sep

[Dhaval Bothra is a law student at Symbiosis Law School, Pune.] Introduction This blog specifically analyzes the legality of unilateral economic sanctions imposed by Member States, excluding UNSC sanctions. The primary focus is on evaluating the compatibility of these unilateral economic sanctions with the WTO's Public Morals Exception, with particular emphasis on Article XX(a) of the GATT. It should be...

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