This thesis examines the trade related aspects of transborder data flows (TDF), placing TDF issues within the economic context provided by trade in services and particularly within the scope of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It is based on the premise that TDF are nothing but the rendering of a service product, whether final or intermediate, across national borders. Recognizing that international trade has become increasingly dependent on information exchange systems, the thesis asks whether or not NAFTA provides a solid legal framework to deal with discriminatory regulations, conflicting technical standards and protectionist measures that hamper the flow of information within the North American territory.

This thesis explores some of the legal implications of communication satellite constellations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), specifically the satellite systems that plan to provide Personal Communication Services (PCS). The thesis begins with a brief history of long distance communications and their evolution from wire systems to space-based technology; the types of service providers and users are also indicated. Next, some of the perceived shortcomings of the current telecommunications technology are examined and suggestions are made as to how they could be overcome by LEO-based PCS satellites. The legal requirements, national and international, that need to be met to secure interference-free operation of these satellites and services are explored. Also some of the risks and potential liability producing events are discussed, as well as ways of dealing with them. The thesis concludes that LEO-based communication satellite constellations are feasible, both technically and legally, provided that the relevant legal and technical issues are resolved before the deployment of these systems.

This study portrays the vital role that sustainable development has in environmental protection. It is argued that, due to an unnecessary polarization of efforts, the success of sustainable development has been rather limited. Thus, after surveying the tension between the ecological, economic development and ethical dimensions of the concept, the author demonstrates the balancing role that international environmental law can have. Two hypotheses, the hypothesis of "concavity" and that of "convexity", are presented to contribute to a more appropriate understanding of the concept. A survey of international environmental agreements and instruments is undertaken in order to present sustainable development as a field in itself. / It is further argued that sustainable development has not succeeded in enhancing environmental protection because of the erroneous efforts made to reduce it from a field of international environmental law to a norm of international environmental law. States, communities and individuals should be more concerned with developing new and firm principles in the field of sustainable development. These principles would eventually become the new norms of international and national law and thus, the cornerstone of an era of environmental protection that does not impinge upon the development that humankind is dependent upon.

Not only usual goods are carried: some of a particular nature need particular regulations. The transportation of dangerous goods regulated by specific international rules is a good illustration while the example of artworks carried to be exposed in temporary exhibitions is less famous. Their material protection is insured by museum professionals and specialized carriers. Their legal protection is insured on two levels: on one side, detailed customs procedures are set up to regulate their movement; moreover, specific contractual rules have been created by professionals, but they do apply international conventions relative to international carriers liability. On the other side, one usually chooses specific insurance policy called "a nail to nail" contract. Confidentiality and mutual trust are the keystone to gain success in matter of transportation of artworks.

Economic integration and foreign direct investment were adopted by developing countries particularly in Africa, as strategies for economic development. For these countries, economic integration became not only a tariff issue, but a strategy for development; hence the term "developmental regionalism". This thesis is a study of the concept of developmental regionalism in West Africa. It concentrates on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which was formed in 1975. / It is argued that as a strategy for development, the ECOWAS integration effort was inadequate because of undue reliance on tariff reductions--- so called "negative integration" measures. It is suggested that to facilitate a more cohesive integration program, countries in the region ought to adopt positive integration measures in the form of common policies on money and payments, industrialization and most significantly, a common policy on investments. / With respect to investment regulation, it is my argument that because liberalization of investment laws at the national level failed to attract the desired flow of foreign investment to the region, ECOWAS Member States ought to harmonize their regulatory framework with a view to ultimately adopting a single legal regime for international investment. / As a framework for analysis, I adopt the criteria of economic efficiency. This is a cost/benefit analysis of the transformations that occur as the result of contractual transactions. Where the costs to the parties exceed or are likely to exceed the benefits of the transaction, it is said to be inefficient. Using these criteria, I argue that in order to inject a level of fairness in investor/host state relations, and to avoid the costs of FDI to host societies exceeding the gains therefrom, international law ought to make binding prescriptions to govern corporate conduct. Based on this reasoning, I suggest a framework for improving the investment climate in West Africa.

The paper presents and discusses the carrier's stowage duties under the Hague and Hague/Visby Rules and contrasts them with similar duties created in the Hamburg Rules. Particular attention is paid to stowage responsibilities in relation to the carriage of dangerous goods. A subsidiary examination considers the extent to which international stowage regulations adopted to protect safety and the environment may affect what constitutes proper stowage under the contract of carriage.

This thesis analyses the International and American laws and regulations structuring the commercialization of space based remote sensing images. / Chapter one outlines the historical evolution influencing the present regulatory structure. Chapter two describes the technology of space based remote sensing systems. Chapter three analyses the international treaties and institutions along with their application to commercial remote sensing by satellites. Chapter four analyses the American legislative evolution and regulatory structure pertaining to commercial remote sensing. / The argument of the thesis is that a contextual evolution of the global geopolitical climate is forcing a regulatory retooling for commercial space endeavors. The contextual evolution has created new paradigms based upon international economic market values. The initial international treaties and institutions must evolve to reflect these criteria.

This thesis examines the extent to which international trade law can serve as a means to enforce workers' rights in developing countries, considered from a human rights point of view. / The first chapter examines the protection of the most important workers rights under international law. The basic problem in this protection is that workers' rights are limited in their enforcement. Therefore, international trade measures could be used to enforce these rights. / A first way to use international trade law for the enforcement of workers' rights is by unilaterally imposing a set of workers' rights in the trade relations between two countries. This is the topic of the second chapter. These measures are used in both the United States and the European Community. Unilateral trade measures can be distinguished as non-reciprocal trade aid programs and reciprocal trade relations, the former being much less controversial that the latter from an international law point view. / In the third chapter, multilateral trade measures, the second way to use international trade measures, are discussed. This discussion focuses on the social clause in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade context and similar regimes. This study will demonstrate the position that a social clause is to be favoured, but only as an additional way to enforce workers' rights, and only if changes to the existing procedures are made. / The thesis concludes by calling for a social dimension in international trade regulation, but warns that a social clause in a multilateral trade agreement should be approached with realism and prudence.

Over the last years satellite communications remained as a government monopoly in most countries. Recently, that situation has changed and we have witnessed liberalization on trade in satellite services where governmental entities that provided satellite services were privatized. Also, countries started to allow the entry of foreign satellites to their markets. / The international scenario on trade in satellite services is of great relevance and it will be analyzed in this thesis. We will see Mexico's, Canada's and the US's specific commitments on satellite communications services made in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Likewise, we will see Mexico's, Canada's and the US's background on satellite communications, and their regulatory framework on the use of foreign satellites will be analyzed.

In 1986, the inclusion of trade in services, including financial services, into the multilateral GATT Uruguay Round on trade liberalization stood for the official worldwide recognition of services as being internationally tradable and important for national economies. The establishment of a General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), as being an integral part of the new World Trade Organization (WTO), is the institutional manifestation of the increasing importance of the service industries in international trade. / Within a variety of services, the financial services, such as banking, play a crucial role in national economies. A functioning banking system, providing the domestic industry with the necessary flow of capital, equals stability, credibility and international competitiveness for a national economy. / Liberalization of international trade in financial services may further increase economic efficiency and the welfare of the consumer, but today liberal trade in financial services is still faced with various barriers, especially in the highly sensitive banking system. Natural barriers to cross-border trade in banking services were overcome by the increased tradability of services through new information and communication technologies. The GATS stands for the multilateral approach to overcoming the regulatory barriers to international trade in services. The worldwide opening of domestic banking markets to foreign banks, namely the provision of the right of establishment, is the main topic of liberalization with respect to the banking sector. / Aside from obvious structural shortcomings of the GATS, this multilateral liberalization approach is increasingly challenged by regional approaches. namely free-trade areas and customs unions. Furthermore, in the banking sector, as a reaction to the huge amount of bank failures and national economic crises, liberalization itself is challenged by a global tendency rather to re-regulate and to harmonize existing regulations than to further liberalize. / - -