Developing country governments have also increased the number of concluded bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and double taxation agreements and, more recently, bilateral and regional free trade and investment agreements. (Examples are the ASEAN Investment Area Agreement and the South Asia Free Trade Area.

However, in recent years, bilateral North South trade agreements have proliferated.

If correctly designed and implemented, bilateral, regional and subregional trade agreements could help to strengthen the multilateral trading system and ensure that it benefited everyone.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act is a different example of a bilateral preferential trade agreement.

The Bilateral Threat to Free Trade

Traditionally, international telecommunications services were traded under a system of bilateral agreements between nations.

Annex 1A Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods.

Bilateral trade agreements have been gaining traction lately. For example, the EU and Canada recently concluded a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which is likely to become the basis for the TTIP.

Social and trade aspects of bilateral and regional agreements were suggested for further analysis, to determine how such aspects were reconciled in the area of trade in services.

A major effort is required on their part to upgrade and develop the specialized skills of those from both the public and private sectors involved in the development of trade strategies and in the negotiation of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements.

Gravity model of bilateral trade flows8

The recent proliferation of bilateral investment treaties (BITs), double taxation treaties and various types of preferential trade agreements with investment components confirms this trend.

The cumulative total of all known cases brought under bilateral, regional (e.g. NAFTA) or plurilateral (e.g. Energy Charter Treaty) agreements that contain investment clauses, or international investment agreements (IIAs), is now 160.

At the same time, the proliferation of interregional, regional and bilateral free trade agreements and negotiations on a North North, South South and North South basis needs to be constantly monitored to ensure development coherence and compatibility with the multilateral trading system.

Numerous bilateral and multilateral agreements have been signed or are in the process of being signed in order to improve the effectiveness of the fight against the illicit trade in arms, explosives and ammunition.

During the last 20 years, the world has witnessed dramatic proliferation of regional and bilateral preferential trade agreements. Indeed, bilateral trade flows covered by such agreements now amount to roughly half of the world s imports, and have contributed significantly to the dramatic growth of trade.

The use of mandatory requirements related to R D and technology transfer is not prohibited by the WTO Agreement on Trade related Investment Measures, but has become increasingly restricted in various bilateral trade and investment agreements.

In the context of Arab bilateral agreements, the Syrian Lebanese free trade zone will open up further trade between the two countries.

1930 Bilateral agreements

The non discrimination principle ensured that global trade did not become a spaghetti bowl of preferential bilateral trade agreements. Moreover, a multilateral framework for trade negotiations gave weaker states far more balanced conditions than they would face were they forced to negotiate bilaterally with the likes of China, the United States, or the European Union.

African nations have been a part of the recent proliferation of bilateral and subregional preferential trade agreements.

According to some experts, among the advantages of a bilateral framework were that bilateral investment treaties could be tailored to the specific circumstances of the two parties and are relatively easy to conclude.

Make efforts to fully integrate African countries into the international trading system, including through targeted capacity building programmes on bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations

Make efforts to fully integrate African countries in the international trading system, including through targeted capacity building programmes on bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations

Bilateral investment guarantee agreements, double taxation avoidance and free trade area arrangements have also played a role in encouraging OFDI from developing countries.

The Ukrainian party has undertaken to take the necessary measures to ratify the bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area in the first half of 2005.

Bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements

The need to ensure (a) that bilateral and regional trade agreements are consistent and compatible with WTO commitments, (b) that they promote and protect human rights and (c) that they include analysis of the impact of such agreements on women was highlighted.

Both sides also agree to complete the second phase of negotiation on the China Pakistan Free Trade Agreement as soon as possible to continue to push forward the negotiation on the China Pakistan Service Trade Agreement.

The database is being extended with information on bilateral preferential tariffs and rules of origin for the most important trade agreements in the western hemisphere.

Bearing in mind the primacy of the multilateral trading system, and the importance of open regional economic integration, regional trade agreements should be outward oriented and supportive of the multilateral trading system.

On that score, multilateral institutions and bilateral donors should reduce conditionality and trade agreements should provide room to manoeuvre so that developing countries can have adequate policy space .

The ACSJC participates in regular NGO meetings and consultations with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade concerning international human rights matters, Australia's promotion and protection of human rights under international law and the protection of human rights in multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and agreements.

South South and intra regional trade in particular would benefit from multilateral trade facilitation agreements.

A database of BITs containing 1,800 compiled texts was made available on the IIA website and the secretariat established an in house database on FTAs, RTAs and EPAs.

The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides a unique multilateral legal framework for trade in services and for negotiations on their further liberalization.

The objectives are set out in Annex 3 to the Marrakesh Agreement, as follows to contribute to improved adherence by all WTO Members to rules, disciplines and commitments made under the Multilateral Trade agreements and, where applicable, the Plurilateral Trade Agreements, and hence to the smoother functioning of the multilateral trading system, by achieving greater transparency in, and understanding of, the trade policies and practices of Members.

While trade deals have often come at the expense of stronger domestic climate action, the EU s new trade agreement with Singapore aims to boost trade and investment in clean energy technologies and promote green public tendering. This should serve as an environmental benchmark for future agreements including with the US, despite some American constituencies expectations that EU standards could be relaxed in a bilateral trade deal.

The expansion of North South agreements has been transforming economic relationships based on pre existing unilateral preferences into relationships based on reciprocity, such as in the free trade area of the Americas negotiations, the African, Caribbean Pacific EU economic partnership agreement negotiations and the recently approved Central American Free Trade Agreement.

RTAs and South South trade cooperation

Emphasis will also be placed on strengthening the negotiation skills of member States in respect of the WTO negotiation process, continuing to increase their understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by WTO as well as regional integration agreements, defining obstacles and barriers to participation in the multilateral trading system and organizing awareness drives on the role of the Arab free trade area and other bilateral agreements.

Despite the conclusion of various regional and global trade agreements (bilateral and multilateral) over the past decade, the Syrian economy remains protectionist if measured by the percentage of external trade and investment.

In view of globalization, the people should be politically empowered to conclude bilateral and multilateral trade agreements lest its economic development would be inhibited.

Other services that home governments could provide include OFDI risk insurance and making SMEs aware of BITs and bilateral and regional free trade agreements that contain investment provisions.

GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade