The WTO Rules That We Deserve? Comment on Professor Morrissey's chapter
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2004-06-04
Author(s)
Abstract
In recent years, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has come under sustained attack from many academics and other observers. Many of the arguments employed in this attack are found in Professor Morrissey's paper and the purpose of this comment is to critically examine them. Professor Morrissey's principal argument is that the likelihood of successfully completing multilateral trade negotiations is being compromised by the number and diversity of matters included within the Single Undertaking (SU). Professor Morrissey advances three "guidelines" through which "core" negotiating topics can be distinguished from "complementary" issues. In his view, only the core topics should be included within the Single Undertaking in a trade round negotiated at the World Trade Organization. The other topics could, he notes, be addressed outside the SU and, in some cases, even outside the WTO.
It should be immediately acknowledged that the subject matter contained in Professor Morrissey's paper is significant, both to scholars and to trade policy practitioners. Indeed, trade diplomats agreed at the WTO's General Council in August 2004 to remove at least three topics from SU for the duration of the Doha Round. In this commentary, I shall first discuss the principal substantive argument made by Professor Morrissey and then reflect on a number of aspects of the argumentation made in his paper.
It should be immediately acknowledged that the subject matter contained in Professor Morrissey's paper is significant, both to scholars and to trade policy practitioners. Indeed, trade diplomats agreed at the WTO's General Council in August 2004 to remove at least three topics from SU for the duration of the Doha Round. In this commentary, I shall first discuss the principal substantive argument made by Professor Morrissey and then reflect on a number of aspects of the argumentation made in his paper.
Language
English
Keywords
trade
WTO
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
No
Book title
The Single Undertaking After Cancun : Diversity and Variable Geometry in the WTO System
Publisher
World Trade Institute
Publisher place
Berne
Event Title
THE WORLD TRADE FORUM 2004
Event Location
Bern
Event Date
04.-05.06.2004
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
22211
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WTF04evenettcommentonmorrissey.pdf
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