Softcover

ISBN 10: 1842774816 ISBN 13: 9781842774816

Publisher: Zed Books, 2004

This book charts the evolution of the multilateral trading system and explores the future outlook for the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Bhagirath Lal examines how GATT/WTO has traditionally been used by the major industrial nations to pursue their own economic and political interests, at the expense of Third World development. This North-South imbalance continues today. Further, this book traces the intimate links between these deficiencies and the WTO's murky decision-making processes, dominated by its developed country members.

Das asserts that future stability in international economic relations depends on abandoning the WTO's partiality. 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 by other institutional, governmental and non-governmental actors. The analysis and proposals laid out in this book are 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.

About the Author:

Bhagirath Lal Das was formerly India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) forum. He has also served as Director of the International Trade Programmes at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). At present he is an advisor and consultant to several organizations. He is the author of four earlier books on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on its agreements.

Review:

'This charts the evolution of the multilateral trading system over the last half century, and explores the outlook for the intergovernmental body...'- Abstracts of Public Administration, Development and Environment (APADE)