The World Trade Organization: A Very Short Introduction

by Amrita Narlikar

Overview

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is scarcely ten years old, but it has already generated a mountain of debate, controversy, and outrage. Rulings on beef hormones and tuna-dolphin cases provide explicit examples of how the organization regulates into areas of individual consumer choice, ethical preferences, and cultural habits. The deep and far-ranging impact of the WTO on peoples' everyday lives means that it is not just an institution of interest to economists, but to everyone, a fact that was perhaps most graphically illustrated by the demonstrations that have become a regular feature associated with high-level meetings of the WTO. This book provides a carefully considered explanation of what the WTO is, what it does, and how it goes about executing its tasks, and gives a clear understanding of the mandate, structure, and functioning of the WTO that is essential to appreciating the controversy behind the organization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192806086
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/03/2005
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	179,273
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 4.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Amrita Narlikar is University Lecturer in International Relations at the Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge. She held a lectureship at the University of Exeter (2003-04) and a Junior Research Fellowship at St John's College, Oxford (1999-2003). Her research interests lie in the areas of trade negotiations, developing countries and international economic organizations.

Table of Contents

AcknowledgementsPreface1. Who Needs an International Trade Organization and Why? 2. The Formation of the World Trade Organization3. Decision Making and Negotiation Processes in the WTO4. The Mandate of the WTO5. Enforcing the Agreements: Dispute Settlement and the WTO6. The Doha Development Agenda7. The Burden of GovernanceReferencesFurther Reading