The Winnipeg principles, WTO and sustainable development: Proposed policies for reconciling trade and the environment

There is, a widespread belief that the WTO has made virtually no concession s to environmentalists about their concerns arising from free trade and the process of globalization. There are concerns that these processes may unde rmine prospects for sustainable development. Following, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, t he International Institute for Sustainable Development was established to a dvocate policies to support sustainable development within Canada and globa lly. In 1994, it proposed the Winnipeg Principles as. a means for reconcili ng international trade and development so as to: achieve sustainable develo pment (ISD, 1994a,b). These seven principles are outlined in this article a nd assessed:. Although the International Institute for Sustainable Developm ent had hoped: through these principles to influence the work programme of the Environment and Trade Committee of WTO, it seems to have little effect. Probably if these principles had been seriously considered by WTO, the ser ious social conflicts which emerged globally at the beginning of this centu ry would have been avoided, and we would be in a better position to underst and the complex links between trade, environment and sustainable developmen t and adopt relevant policies. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd an d ERP Environment.