The document by Waldo Mendoza (research coordinator for COPLA Peru) titled ‘Trade policy and poverty in Peru. How do free trade agreements (FTA) impact rural poverty?’ presents clearly the existent evidence that links international trade with growth and with poverty as the other side of the same story. The document published by CIES and available in the resources area of COPLA Peru in http://www.cop-la.net/en/node/357 analyses theories on the matter and then focuses on the implementation of the FTA signed with the United States.

Trade, Gender and Equity in Latin America: ellaborating an influence plan

A Participative Planning Workshop took place last 17th and 18th of April, in Montevideo, for the Latin American Gender and Trade Network (LAGTN), organized by Interdisciplinary Center of Studies on Develpoment – Uruguay (CIEDUR) and financed by (International Development Research Center) IDRC – Canada.

Both COPLA Nicaragua and Bolivia address the use of natural resources by the poor. While it is recognised that their participation in the value chain is important, it is also true that this does not guarantee success for those involved. It is also the case that a wide range of policies are necessary to develop the systems, competencies and skills that are conducive to the poor successfully participating of community based forestry and the trade of forest-related products. A recent paper from ODI Natural Resoruces Perspective by Benno Pokorny and James Johnson suggests the following:

The most important newspapers from Peru pointed out as a trade policy mistake the lowering of custom taxes to stop the rise in inflation registered in the country in the last months. This is especially relevant in the context of the free trade agreement (TLC for its acronym in Spanish) that Peru has recently signed with the United States.

COPLA has awarded lessons learning a key role in the overall programme. Rather than waiting until the end of the research and influencing phases, COPLA has already begun a processes of lessons identification and sharing among the partners.

During the months of March and April preparatory events for the Vth European Union-Latin America and Caribbean (EU-LAC) Summit will be held.

A key aim of COPLA is to address the effect of trade policies on those who are socially excluded.

In 1991 the USA decreed the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to combat drug production and trafficking in the Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).

Regional COPLA will deepen into the lessons learning process which the programme’s partners have acknowledged in the research phase to, therefore, systematize and share them regionally.

CIPPEC began and will deepen a process of dialogue with Latin American networks that are working on these issues and want to be part of the project.