The WTO and the multilateral trading system : past, present and future

著者

• Das, Bhagirath Lal

書誌事項

The WTO and the multilateral trading system : past, present and future

Bhagirath Lal Das

Zed, c2003

• : hard (Zed)
• : pbk. (Zed)

注記

Bibliography: p. [239]-241

Includes index

内容説明・目次

内容説明

This book charts the evolution of the multilateral trading system over the past half century and explores the future outlook for the intergovernmental body that constitutes its institutional base and which is responsible for governing the conduct of global commerce, the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The author, a leading authority on international trade, identifies the distinct trends that have characterised the historical progression of the system, from the formulation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1947 through the WTO's inception in 1995 to the present day. He examines how the GATT/WTO framework has traditionally been used by the major industrial nations as a vehicle to pursue their own narrow economic and political interests, at the expense of Third World countries' development prospects. This North-South imbalance continues to pervade the multilateral trade regime today, in the form of inherent inequities in the WTO agreements and their implementation, and attempts to insert potentially damaging new issues into the WTO agenda. Further, this book traces the intimate links between these substantive deficiencies and the WTO's murky decision-making processes, which are dominated by its developed country members to the detriment of the developing countries. Looking to the future, the author asserts that such one-sidedness cannot and must not persist if the WTO is to foster a healthy stability in international economic relations. Towards this end, he advances concrete suggestions for radical reform in the basic structure, rules and practices of the trade body, and for complementary actions on the part of other institutional, governmental and non-governmental actors. The analysis and proposals laid out in this book are throughout grounded in a practical perspective aimed at yielding the cooperation and mutual gain among nations that are required to harvest the full benefits of international trade.

目次

Preface 1. The Long Stride: From Havana to Doha Foundation Background Important Milestones Important Informal Processes Distinct Trends Changing Colours on the Horizon 2. Main Features of GATT/WTO Introduction Provisions relating to Goods Trade International Transactions in Services Protection of IPRs Dispute Settlement Process Mismatch between Objectives and Instruments 3. Implementation and Implications Types of Action Problems and Implications Workings of Enforcement Machinery Implementation Issues in the WTO 4. New Issues in the WTO Emergence of New Issues Environment Investment Competition Policy Government Procurement Trade Facilitation Electronic Commerce Social Clause: Labour Standards Basic Unfairness in Initiating New Issues 5. WTO Processes Introduction From Proposals to Conclusions From Proposals to Agreements Strength, Strategies and Methods of Developed Countries Functioning of Developing Countries Conduct of Meetings and Conferences Role of the Secretariat 6. Towards the Future Need for a Multilateral Trading System Role at Multilateral Level Developed Countries' Role Developing Countries' Role WTO Secretariat's Role Role of UNCTAD Role of NGOs Prospects for the Future Endnotes Bibliography Index

「Nielsen BookData」 より

詳細情報

• NII書誌ID(NCID): BA68356412
• ISBN:
  • 1842774808
  • 1842774816
• 出版国コード: uk
• タイトル言語コード: eng
• 本文言語コード: eng
• 出版地: London
• ページ数/冊数: xiii, 249 p.
• 大きさ: 22 cm
• 分類:
  • DC21 : 382.92
• 件名:
  • BLSH : World Trade Organization
  • LCSH : International trade