The Relationship Between Multilateral Environmental Agreements and the WTO Regime: The Way Forward

Conflict exists between World Trade Agreement (WTO) and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). This is because governments when negotiating MEAs they include measures which sanction trade coercion and create provisions to restrict trade despite WTO rules to which the same Governments subscribe, does not permit such use of trade measures. After analyzing the relationship between the WTO and MEAs, this writing argues that the growing global interconnectedness, both in economic and environment, needs coherence and coordination in trade and environmental policies, rules, and institutions. Keywords: WTO, MEAs, GATT, Non Discrimination, MFN DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/77-03 Publication date: November 30th 201

Trademark Protection in Ethiopia Vis-a-vis TRIPs: A Closer Look to the Requirements of Protection & Exclusive Rights of the Owner

Although the contribution and share of intellectual property rights to the country‘s economic growth is not paramount as of today, the Ethiopian Trade mark system has established a protection of Trade mark up on enacting trade mark proclamation. Similarly, as Ethiopia is on the move of to Acceding to World Trade Organization (WTO), the compatibility of Trade mark Proclamation with the TRIPs system is crucial.Therefore, this writing will scrutinize the system of trade mark protection in Ethiopia in line with TRIPs agreement and argues that despite there are some points which need consideration,  the Ethiopian trademark proclamation is compatible and there are even TRIPS plus provisions in it which thereby the negotiating team of the country has nothing to worry on its accession to WTO as far as Trade mark Proclamation is concerned. Keywords: TRIPS, Paris Convention, Well Known Mark, WTO DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/90-01 Publication date:October 31st 201