We need a world trade organization. We just don't need the one that we have. By pitching unequally matched states together in chaotic bouts of negotiating the global trade governance of today offers - and has consistently offered - developed countries more of the economic opportunities they already have and developing countries very little of what they desperately need. This is an unsustainable state of affairs to which the blockages in the Doha round provide ample testimony. So far only piecemeal solutions have been offered to refine this flawed system. Radical proposals that seek to fundamentally alter trade governance or reorient its purposes around more socially progressive and egalitarian goals are thin on the ground. Yet we eschew deeper reform at our peril. In What's Wrong with the World Trade Organization and How to Fix It Rorden Wilkinson argues that without global institutions fit for purpose, we cannot hope for the kind of fine global economic management that can put an end to major crises or promote development-for-all. Charting a different path he shows how the WTO can be transformed into an institution and a form of trade governance that fulfils its real potential and serves the needs of all.

Contents:
Introduction
1. Bargaining Together: Why and How?
2. Coalitions in the GATT and the Entry of Services
3. Bloc Diplomacy: The Informal Group and the G-10
4. Alliance Diplomacy: The Issue-Based, Crossover Coalitions of G-20 and Café au Lait
5. Combination Diplomacy: Issue-Based Blocs and Sub-Sectoral Crossover Coalitions
6. Evolved Alliances: The Cairns Group and Friends of Services Group
7. Regionalism: A Springboard for Bargaining?
8. Coalitions of the New Round: Developing Countries at Seattle and Doha
9. Conclusion

Produced in association with the Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS), the Annual Review covers the major developments in the European Union in the past year. * Includes analytical articles written by leading experts in their respective fields covering a wide array of political, economic and legal issues * Contains specially commissioned articles by Tanja Borzel on governance in the European Union, Hanspeter Kriesi on the politicization of Europe and Kevin Featherstone on Greece s tumultuous year * The most up-to-date and authoritative source of information for practitioners, lecturers, students and researchers of European integration, as well as for general readers who simply want to know more about the European Union

This volume brings together a selection of papers that were prepared as background analyses for a collaborative research capacity-building project, focusing on the WTO negotiating agenda.
Contributors review the results of the Uruguay Round negotiations, discuss developing country concerns relating to the operation of the WTO and assess implementation of WTO agreements.
Contributors quantify the potential benefits of further global liberalization of access to markets for industrial and agricultural products, and assess the relative merits of expanding multilateral disciplines into new areas such as investment, competition, and labor and environmental policies.

This book aims to analyze Lesotho's prospects for economic advancement, and examines the influence of the policies and economic development of South Africa on Lesotho's own potential for development.

This book provides a comprehensive study of consultation procedures within the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization. It offers in-depth analysis of diplomatic practices relating to what has been a poorly explored and researched part of the Dispute Settlement Understanding. Findings are supported by interviews with representatives of several Member States. The author analyses its relationship to panel proceedings and uses comparative studies with other parts of international law. The study particularly focuses on a Chinese perspective which has placed strong emphasis upon consultation and negotiated settlements. With its theoretical and practical insights, the book will be of equal use to scholars, diplomats and government officials alike.

This volume considers the impact of competition policy on economic behaviour in the world's two largest economic areas.

This is an overview of the interactions between the world's dominant country and the world's most developed institution. The book examines the major events in the history of US-EU relations, and suggests that changes in the international political economy play a key role in shaping this relationship: the US and the EU are in a constant state of competition and cooperation that varies by issue and policy area.

This book draws together key issues resulting from the World Trade Organisation's planned 'Millennium Round' and the hope that it will lead to freer trade as we begin this new century.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203469704

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) broke new ground in such areas as investment regulation and intellectual property protection, and, for the first time, linked labor and environmental issues to international trade policy. Implementation of this agreement required the creation of several new institutions: some mandated by the treaty itself; others resulting from supplemental labor and environmental legislation; and a few created in response to increased economic activity among the members. This book provides, for the first time, an in-depth examination and analysis of the structure, functions, and performance of the NAFTA institutions from their inception to the present day.

In Constraining Public Libraries: The World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Trade in Services, the authors present a compelling argument for why the library community should be concerned about the effect of international trade agreements on the ability to deliver library and information services to the public. The book begins with a rigorous yet succinct description of the relevant provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), proceeds to discuss how it is likely to impact particular public library services, and then discusses how the library community could best respond to these challenges. While there cannot be certainty when considering how GATS will ultimately impinge upon public libraries, this book pinpoints potential problem areas. It is a valuable tool in informing the dialogue within public libraries on the World Trade Organization, and providing the foundation for effective advocacy at the domestic and international levels to ensure that public libraries continue to play a central role in their communities for generations to come. Those in library and information science, as well as public administrators, educators, students, political and policy science professionals, government officials, and trade negotiators, will find this book to be an informative resource.

The completion of the Uruguay round promised a new era in international trading relations. However, there remains a wide range of issues which could threaten international trading stability, including regionalisation and regionalism, increased non-tariff forms of protection and the proliferation of unilateral and bilateral trade deals. This work assesses both the immediate impact of the GATT deal and the future of the world trading system. It concludes with an assessment of the long-term possibilities for creating a mutually beneficial world economic system.

This title was first published in 2000: This work examines the hemispheric diplomacy after the Summits of the America in Miami (December 1994) and Santiago (April 1998), focusing on the strengthening of the South American position in the FTAA negotiations and the Brazilian proposal for a South American Free Trade Area (SAFTA). The book also looks at the implications of the preceding analysis for regional integration theory and international relations theory. The conclusion looks beyond "open regionalism" and considers three scenarios for US-South American relations after the Santiago Summit. First reassertion of US hegemony and signing of an FTAA agreement on schedule, second, erosion of US hegemony but continuing negotiations between North and South America for a "distant" FTAA, and finally, breakdown of the FTAA negotations and emergence of SAFTA as an alternative to the FTAA.

This Whitehall Paper is an examination of China's relations over its western borders, looking at the interplay between China's relations with South and Central Asia, and its relations with other great adjacent powers. Based on a two-year research project that included travel and workshops in South and Central Asia, this Paper examines Beijing's changing impact and relationship with its near neighbourhood. Conceived prior to the announcement of Xi Jinping's 'Belt and Road Initiative' research for this report was undertaken in the shadow of the September 2013 announcement and the 'Belt and Road' ultimately proved to be the driving framework under which this report was drafted. The report sketches out the roots of the initiative, and how it is being felt on the ground, exploring in detail how it is being received in China's immediate neighbourhood where its impact is most significant for China.

The negotiation of the Free Trade Area between the US and Israel was, at the time, a remarkable political accomplishment, and is a useful case study because it includes all of the industrial and agricultural sectors, thus spanning the full spectrum of issues that would be dealt with in negotiations. In addition, it has the advantage of involving just two countries and lasting only fifteen months from start to finish, facilitating a comprehensive analysis. This book, first published in 1990, provides a valuable analysis of this vital case study of an FTA from commencement to completion.

Project work teaches and tests higher cognitive skills, gives the student a measure of responsibility and allows for the application of knowledge. In open learning situations, however, it is often viewed as problematic, primarily because of the close supervision traditionally associated with this kind of study. In this handbook, "Teaching Through Projects," the author shows how projects can be formulated to challenge and motivate the student most effectively. Topics discussed include types of projects, methods of data collection, spreading the workload, and assessment and tuition.

The rise of cross-regional trade agreements is a defining trend of the current international trade system as shown by the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2015, the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the USA and the EU as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) between countries in Asia and Oceania. These differ from previous agreements in their economic significance and large geographic scale, and the wide scope of trade-related issues. The current rise of nationalist and isolationist ideologies across Europe and the USA has raised questions on the future of cross-regional trade deals and made the need to understand their implications for economic and political governance ever more urgent. Two main forms of governance that are central to this volume are the democratic tensions over new generation trade deals on the one hand, and their geopolitical ramifications on the other, which have come into collision to herald the advent of a highly uncertain period of world politics. Many of the questions tackled in this volume, surrounding the democratic governance of trade agreements - whether long-held debates on the inclusion of workers' voices, controversies on intrusive "behind the border" provisions undermining national sovereignty and local autonomy or new questions on digital rights - are crucial to understand the ebbing popular support for far-reaching trade agreements. This book will be a useful learning tool for students and scholars in a wide range of fields, including Globalisation, Global Governance, International Political Economy, International Trade and Investment and International Law, and should also be of interest to EU trade negotiators, international policymakers and business associations.

This Commentary on the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) provides a detailed textual analysis of TRIPS - a pivotal international agreement on intellectual property rights.TRIPS sets minimum standards for national laws on copyright, patents, trademarks and other forms of intellectual property rights. TRIPS profoundly impacts upon the regulation of access to medicines, compulsory licensing of copyright material, geographical indicators and other significant IP-related matters. This reference book is a major authoritative work that is clearly organised and presented, allowing users to navigate quickly to commentary on any element of TRIPS. The book begins with a context-setting section, providing guidance on interpreting TRIPS. It considers the salient elements of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the WTO Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, and the preamble to the Agreement Establishing the WTO. The book then follows the seven part structure of TRIPS, and provides an article-by-article analysis of each of its 73 provisions and specifically addresses the interpretation of key phrases in each article. An essential resource for practitioners and scholars, this detailed and exhaustive volume will also prove invaluable to academics and students of intellectual property law, international law and trade law. It is a first point of reference for anyone needing to know more about TRIPS. Contents: 1. General Provisions and Basic Principles 2. Standards Concerning the Availability, Scope and Use of Intellectual Property Rights 3. Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights 4. Acquisition and Maintenance of Intellectual Property Rights and Related Inter-Partes Procedures 5. Dispute Prevention and Settlement 6. Transitional Arrangements 7. Institutional Arrangements; Final Provisions

First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This Whitehall Paper is an examination of China's relations over its western borders, looking at the interplay between China's relations with South and Central Asia, and its relations with other great adjacent powers. Based on a two-year research project that included travel and workshops in South and Central Asia, this Paper examines Beijing's changing impact and relationship with its near neighbourhood. Conceived prior to the announcement of Xi Jinping's 'Belt and Road Initiative' research for this report was undertaken in the shadow of the September 2013 announcement and the 'Belt and Road' ultimately proved to be the driving framework under which this report was drafted. The report sketches out the roots of the initiative, and how it is being felt on the ground, exploring in detail how it is being received in China's immediate neighbourhood where its impact is most significant for China.

From the aggressive US rhetoric against China, to the escalating trade war with tit for tat responses, and China's 2025 initiative that threatens the US global leadership in advanced technologies, tensions between the US and China (the two dominant forces of today's world) have never been higher. This book provides a timely analysis of the US-China relationship. Each model is deeply rooted in their respective histories and cultures, with both models highly successful in achieving their main goals and highly resilient over time. It explores the core misconceptions on governance, economic, social and military issues, and the root causes of these misconceptions. If China and US could close the gap by each understanding those differences and their implications, the author argues, they could work together to overcome global issues to the benefit of all. This updated paperback edition includes a new introduction covering recent events in US-China relations.

The fight between North and South over intellectual property (IP) reached new heights in the 1990s. In one corner, large multinational companies and developed countries sought to protect their investments. Opposing them, developing countries argued for the time and scope to pursue development strategies unshackled by rules forged to bolster the competitiveness of richer countries. The result was the WTO's deeply contested Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Widely resented by developing countries, TRIPS nonetheless permits them some hard-won flexibility. Puzzling, however, is why some developing countries have used that flexibility and others have not. Even more curious is that many of the poorest countries have made least use of the room for manouevre, despite securing some extra concessions. For developing countries, TRIPS did not end the pro-IP offensive. At the urging of industry lobbyists, powerful countries backtracked on the flexibilities in TRIPS and pursued even stronger global IP rules. To prevent precedents for weaker IP standards in poorer countries, they issued threats to market access, aid, investment, and political alliances. Further, they used new trade deals and, more subtly, capacity building (assisted by the World Intellectual Property Organization, among others) to leverage faster compliance and higher standards than TRIPS requires. Meanwhile, 'pro-development' advocates from civil society, other UN agencies, and developing countries worked to counter 'compliance-plus' pressures and defend the use of TRIPS flexibilities, sometimes with success. Within developing countries, most governments had little experience of IP laws and deferred TRIPS implementation to IP offices cut-off from trade politics and national policymaking, making them more vulnerable to the TRIPS-plus agenda. In many of the poorest African countries, regional IP arrangements magnified this effect. For scholars of international political economy and law, this book is the first detailed exploration of the links between global IP politics and the implementation of IP reforms. It exposes how power politics occur not just within global trade talks but afterwards when countries implement agreements. The Implementation Game will be of interest to all those engaged in debates on the global governance of trade and IP

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has stirred passions like no other trade negotiation in recent history. Its supporters maintain that TTIP will produce spectacular growth and job creation; claims that are wholeheartedly rejected by its critics, who regard TTIP as a direct assault on workers' rights, health and safety standards and public services. In this incisive analysis, Gabriel Siles-Brugge and Ferdi de Ville scrutinize the claims made by TTIP's cheerleaders and scaremongers to reveal a far more nuanced picture behind the headlines. TTIP will not provide an economic 'cure-all', nor will it destroy the European welfare state in one fell swoop. Thanks to unprecedented levels of protest and debate around TTIP, however, neoliberal trade negotiations are well and truly back in the spotlight. In this respect, TTIP could well prove to be a 'game-changer' - just not in the way imagined by its backers.

The Domestic Politics of International Trade considers the issues surrounding intellectual property rights in international trade negotiations in order to examine the challenges posed to domestic policy-makers by the increasingly broad nature of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Throughout the book the author demonstrates the importance of domestic politics in understanding the nature and outcome of international negotiations, particularly as they relate to international economic diplomacy. The book looks in detail at the intellectual property negotiations which formed part of the US-Peru and US-Colombia Free Trade Agreements and analyses the extent to which public health authorities and other parties affected by the increased levels of intellectual property protection were integrated into the negotiation process. The book then juxtaposes these findings with an analysis of the domestic origins of US negotiation objectives in the field of intellectual property, paying particular attention to the role of the private sector in the development of these objectives. Based on a substantial amount of empirical research, including approximately 100 interviews with negotiators, capital based policy-makers, private sector representatives, and civil society organisations in Lima, Bogota and Washington, DC, this book offers a rare account of different stakeholders' perceptions of the FTA negotiation process. Ultimately, the book succeeds in integrating the study of domestic politics with that of international negotiations. This book will be of particular interest to academics as well as practitioners and students in the fields of international law, economic law, intellectual property, political economy, international relations, comparative politics and government.

All of the GCC countries-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates-are undergoing historic socio-economic transitions. They are facing enormous strains on public finances and challenging economic outlooks, due to fluctuating oil prices, demographic pressures, high unemployment rates, and a lack of economic diversification. These countries also are likely to feel the rising impact of climate change, and global policies to deal with it, over the coming decades. In addition, seemingly unstoppable shifts in the long-standing international order, notably the rise of China and uncertainties about U.S. leadership, have potentially serious implications for the Middle East and beyond. This policy-oriented book of essays by noted scholars and experts considers the key trends shaping Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, to climate change, economic disruptions, demographics and other domestic concerns, and shifts in the global order. The book's chapters address such questions as: How will global megatrends impact the GCC? How can GCC states adjust and diversify their economies to meet the dual challenges of fluctuating oil prices and climate change? How can these states adjust their labor markets to absorb and support women and youth? How will inter GCC disagreements impact the region moving forward? And how will GCC relations with international actors shift in the coming years? This timely book, with its comprehensive analyses and policy recommendations, will be of interest to a wide range of readers interested in the GCC region, including policymakers, academics, and researchers at think tanks and nongovernmental organizations.