The exchange of tax information has received ample attention recently, due to a number of recent headlines on aggressive tax planning and tax evasion. Whilst both participating tax authorities will gain when foreign investments (FDI) are bilateral, we demonstrate that FDI receiving nations will...

What kind of technical assistance and capacity building benefits do developing countries enjoy if they sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with developed countries? This is a frequently asked question among developing country officials involved in FTA policymaking. While we tend to normatively...

This paper analyses the results of the financial services negotiations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) at the World Trade Organization (WTO). It shows that the negotiations have contributed to more stable and transparent policy regimes in many developing and transition...

More than 200 countries and economic regions worldwide are using the nomenclature of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System Convention: HS) and are basing their customs tariffs thereon. The number of HS headings (four-digit code) and HS subheadings (six-digit...

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) between the European Union (EU) and trade partners go far beyond mere elimination of tariffs to include such diverse issues as non-tariff barriers, competition legislation, investment protection, and more. Implementing such provisions requires deep institutional and...

Human rights lawyers and human rights activists often hesitate or even hate to talk about human responsibilities and responsibilities (in short: duties). This is the case for obvious reasons, which can best be understood in light of the very beginning of the history of human rights, relating to...

As successors to structural adjustment programmes, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) were introduced in 1999 as preconditions for World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) concessional financing and for debt relief. This paper considers the impact of the PRSP framework on the...

The UK's Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 aims to ensure that UK courts neither give nor enforce a judgment allowing recovery against Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (‘HIPC') on covered debts exceeding the amount calculated as sustainable under the HIPC Initiative.Some have objected...

This article provides background on the establishment of the World Bank Inspection Panel and discusses its significance. It argues that the Panel is an important international legal development for three reasons. First, it is the first forum in which private actors can hold an international...

This paper explores the type of human rights obligations of the World Bank and the IMF. It argues that their human rights obligations can be divided into two sets of issues. First is operational issues, which relate to both the promotion and protection of human rights. Second is institutional...