The WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism, which reviews the trade policies and practices of each WTO member at regular intervals, is generally considered to function well. In this day and age, complacency is unwise. Examining trade policy reviews throughout the lifetime of the TPRM, this book details its evolution from Article X of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to the proposed modifications resulting from the mechanism's latest appraisal, examining the budgetary capabilities and technical performance of all the main entities who participate in the reviews. On the basis of these considerations, the author concludes that in order to remain relevant, especially in times of increased global protectionism, the TPRM could, and should do better, and provides unique and timely suggestions for reform.

In the Bretton Woods era, trade liberalization, the improvement of labour rights and working conditions, and the strengthening of environmental policies, were seen as mutually supportive. But is this always true? Can we continue to pretend to protect the rights of workers and to improve environmental protection, particularly through climate change mitigation strategies, within an agenda focused on trade liberalization? Is it credible to pursue trade policies that aim to expand the volumes of trade, without linking such policies to labour and environmental standards, seen as 'non-trade' concerns? This book asks these questions, offering a detailed analysis of whether linkage is desirable and legally acceptable under the disciplines of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It concludes that trade can work for sustainable development, but only if we see it as a means for social and environmental progress, including climate change mitigation, and if we avoid fetichizing it as an end to be pursued for its own sake.

There is growing consensus that new international rules and principles are needed to reconcile conflicts, and promote complementarities between trade and environmental goals. The issue is especially acute for very poor countries striving for rapid economic growth. Esty, a former Environmental Protection Agency official with extensive experience in trade and environmental negotiations, examines the vital connections between trade, environment and development. He argues that current international trade rules and institutions must be significantly reformed to address environmental concerns while still promoting economic growth and development. Esty offers new international rules and principles to help make trade and environmental policies work together to better achieve sustainable economic progress. He concludes with recommendations for a Global Environmental Organization (GEO) to promote simultaneous achievement of trade environmental goals.

Recent elections have focused on negatives: how to cut programs and how to raise taxes. This book proposes a positive solutions oriented approach to solve the root causes of the country's economic problems: the milking of America by foreign trade agreements that has brought the country and many of the people to the brink of bankruptcy. It shows the primary cause of our decline is a multi-decade trade imbalance fed by an unfair trade policy of low import duties, and the relatively high level of American workers' wages compared to foreign wages. The granting of "Most Favored Nation" status to China in the early 1990's, together with China's extraordinary low average wages and China's robber baron attempts to capture major industries such as pharmaceuticals, have led to a massive trade imbalance. In this book we propose a solution to the foreign trade problem that will level the playing field for America and foreign countries. In addition we propose specific NEW solutions for the problem areas listed in the title. Dr. Blaha is a historian and economist, as well as a physicist, with a practical approach to the many major problems facing America including a better alternative than Obamacare, a powerful solution for environmental pollution, and a revived space program based on building a new space travel infrastructure. An action oriented approach