After World War II, town twinning became popular, notably in Germany. This was mainly a reaction to the war experience, and it was aimed at creating renewed international understanding and co-operation between German cities and cities in other countries. The contacts created by town twinning...

In this study, we argue that an approach which will reconcile the two opposing camps in Sino-African relations and bring the most progress is a “middle passage” that greases contradictions and offers an accommodative, balanced and pragmatic vision on which Africans can unite. We present a...

Die Marineoperation im Golf von Aden hat auch im vergangenen Jahr das Ausmaß der Piraterie vor den Küsten Somalias nicht entscheidend verringern können. Neben einer sich extrem schwierig gestaltenden Strafverfolgung führt vor allem die Größe des betroffenen Seegebiets dazu, dass Piraten...

We analyze the decline in the U.S. share of world merchandise exports against the backdrop of a model-based measure of competitiveness. We preliminarily use constant market share analysis and gravity estimations to show that the majority of the decline in export shares can be associated with a...

This paper examines the determinants of international competitiveness at the level of sectors and firms. First, we address the relation between cost-related and technological competition in a sample of fifteen OECD countries. Results suggest that the countries' sectoral market shares are indeed...

Effective health services form the backbone of health interventions. Accessibility, quality, capacity, organization, availability of human and physical resources and equity in the provision of health services are essential for a healthcare system to deliver desired health and related sustainable...

This WTO working paper studies availability and affordability of new and innovative pharmaceuticals in a post-TRIPS era. The WTO's TRIPS Agreement (TRIPS) makes it obligatory for WTO members − except least-developed country members (LDCs) - to provide pharmaceutical product patents with a...

Aid for Trade supports developing and least-developed countries in building their trade capacity and in increasing their exports by turning market access opportunities into market presence. It does so by addressing four key areas: trade policy & regulations; economic infrastructure; building...

This paper looks at the various trade policies WTO Members have put into place to foster women's economic empowerment. The analysis below is based on the information provided by WTO Members as part of their Trade Policy Review (TPRs) process from 2014 to 2018. Reports from the WTO Secretariat,...

The trade of the Republic of Moldova in a large extent depends on the exports and imports to/from the European Union. The EU enlargement phenomenon is placing the Republic of Moldova on a favorable position, if speaking about the negotiation of the terms and conditions for goods and services...