Suchergebnisse

Three months after the debacle at Seattle, the "leadership" of the WTO seems unable to come to grips with the several elements that led to the collapse. But one thing is reasonably certain: international economic negotiations in general, & multilateral trade negotiations in particular, will never be the same again. Technically, "mandated" negotiations in agriculture & services & "reviews" under other agreements have been launched, but these will at best mark time. Meanwhile, the members are engaged in so-called "confidence-building" measures, including questions about internal transparency & decision making, to bridge differences & enable reconvening of the Ministerial Conference. But no one believes this is likely for at least a year, if not more. With the WTO's remit now extending beyond border trade measures in goods to areas & sectors of economic policy within countries' domestic jurisdiction, multilateral trade negotiations & agreements involving harmonization of laws, regulations, & standards within each country become more & more complex. What may be successful for one country or group of countries may not be so in others. Until this reality is grasped by the rich & the powerful, & attempts to frame & enforce one-size-fits-all trade rules & obligations applicable to all countries are given up, the WTO system faces an uncertain future in the longer term. J. W. Parker

Aufgaben der Blockfreien im Hinblick auf die angespannte weltpolitische und weltwirtschaftliche Lage. Angesichts der Unwilligkeit der 1. und 2. Welt, Änderungen in bestehenden Wirtschaftsstrukturen herbeizuführen und angesichts des bedrohlichen Machtzuwachses der multinationalen Unternehmen obliegt es jetzt den Blockfreien, durch Stärkung der Süd-Süd-Kooperation, z.B. im Rohstoff- oder Informationsbereich, einen Strukturwandel einzuleiten. (DÜI-Ptk)