The Annual Report 2020 provides a comprehensive account of the WTO's activities in 2019. The report begins with a message from WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. This is followed by a brief overview of 2019 and more in-depth accounts of the WTO's various areas of activity over the past 12 months. Spotlights highlight major WTO events and activities.
The fast-evolving relationship between the promotion of welfare-enhancing competition and the balanced protection of intellectual property (IP) rights has attracted the attention of policymakers, analysts and scholars. This interest is inevitable in an environment that lays ever greater emphasis on the management of knowledge and innovation and on mechanisms to ensure that the public derives the expected social and economic benefits from this innovation and the spread of knowledge. This book looks at the positive linkage between IP and competition in jurisdictions around the world, surveying developments and policy issues from an international and comparative perspective. It includes analysis of key doctrinal and policy issues by leading academics and practitioners from around the globe and a cutting-edge survey of related developments across both developed and developing economies. It also situates current policy developments at the national level in the context of multilateral developments, at WIPO, WTO and elsewhere.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is one of the most important international organizations in existence today. It contains a set of disciplines that affect the ability of governments to impose trade restrictions, and has helped to support the steady expansion of international trade since the 1950s. It is a unique organization in providing a framework for member states to make binding policy commitments that are enforced through a unique dispute settlement system and a variety of transparency mechanisms. Despite – or because of – its success, the WTO has recently become the focus of vociferous protests by anti-globalization activists. This book separates the facts from the propaganda and provides an accessible overview of the WTO's history, structure and policies as well as a discussion of the future of the organization. It also confronts the criticisms of the WTO and assesses their validity.
"This book provides a timely exploration of what the WTO is, what it does, and the complicated politics involved in its negotiations and rulings. Confronting the controversy surrounding the WTO head-on, the author highlights issues of power, marginalization, and development, and raises the important question of whether it actually deserves the reputation it has come to acquire."--BOOK JACKET.
Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.
International Trade Statistics 2015 provides a detailed overview of the latest developments in world trade, covering both merchandise and services trade as well as trade measured in value-added terms. A key developments section at the start of each chapter uses charts and maps to illustrate the most important trends. More detailed data are provided in a variety of tables covering specific aspects of world trade up to the end of 2014. A chapter on methodology explains how the data are compiled. International Trade Statistics 2015 serves as an invaluable reference tool for researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in international trade.
The new-look Annual Report 2009 of the WTO is split into two main sections. The first is a brief summary of the organisation and a review of 2008. The second section provides more in-depth information illustrated with charts, tables and photos. The Report also features a personal message from the Director-General who reflects on 2008 and the challenges that lie ahead.
Revealing documentation of the WTO's persistent undermining of the attempts by governments around the world to maintain independent standards on everything from food safety and public health to minimum wage and the environment. Contains case-by-case studies that expose secret tribunals and lopsided agreements often arranged by the WTO.
