Open Markets Free Trade And Sustainable Development

This book explores the dilemmas posed by globalisation in various aspects of law. It covers diverse themes, ranging from the impact of different legislative measures, bilateral and regional agreements in the context of trade, investment and mobility of labour, to concerns about sustainability, equity, regional balance and social security in the light of globalisation. Although it focuses mainly on India and the European Union, the issues raised and challenges discussed are of a general nature, and as such relevant in the broader context. The chapters address contemporary problems in trade, investment and labour mobility, which have emerged through the complex interaction of market, state policies and socio-environmental concerns, and are expressed on national and global platforms in the context of evolving legal system. The book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and academics engaged in comparative legal studies, particularly those interested in studying the interplay of globalisation with various areas and aspects of law at national as well as international levels. It also appeals to anyone interested in law and policy studies.

This report reviews evidence of the benefits and challenges of trade and investment for development, drawing on experiences from economies in various parts of the world.

International trade policy is facing a cross-roads. This is creating uncertainty, impairing world economic growth. Unless a policy of more open markets is pursued, protectionism may well turn into a self-perpetuating and cumulative process. This is why the 1986 Kiel Conference was devoted to Free Trade in the World Economy: Towards an Opening of Markets. We felt that such a conference would help to stimulate policy discussion preceding the Uruguay Round under the auspices of the GATT and the moves within the European Community towards completing a common internal market by 1992.

Panayotou, a fellow at the Harvard Institute for International Development, argues that economic growth is not incompatible with protecting the local and global environments. He presents case studies such as forest and land use policy in Brazil, water pricing in China, pesticide policy in Indonesia, and communal resource management in Kenya.

A key strength of this book is its comprehensive survey. By addressing institutions rather than themes, the author ranges across contemporary developments, global and regional, in a systematic fashion.

The contemporary orthodox view of world trade has centred, generally unchallenged, on the ideas of free trade, based on the theoretical construct of comparative advantage. This book will engage in a critique of the orthodox position based on the underlying theoretical economic construct, the historical development of the now developed economies and the morally unsustainable position of the free-trade regime. The author examines alternatives such as Most Favoured Nation and Preferential Trading Agreements before making the argument in favour of Asymmetric Trading, where the underdeveloped economies can develop behind tariff barriers and quotas, whilst the triadic nations maintain a lack of barriers to the exports of these economies. He outlines how such a trading regime would be mutually beneficial in the long term, in the sense that development through industrialisation takes place and the increase in GDP per capita would allow markets for exports to be sustainable, thus widening the market for the goods and services of the developed economies. However, the author demonstrates that free trade actually increases the development gap by maintaining the status quo in terms of the underdeveloped economies specialising in and exporting low value-added primary products and importing high value-added manufactures. The book analyses contemporary and historical data to illustrate how an alternative trading regime can be truly advantageous to both the developed and underdeveloped regions of the world: a global trading regime that is capable of increasing GDP in a sustainable manner without transferring a surplus from the poor to the rich nations and without a long-term commitment on the part of the developed nations to altruism.

This report reviews evidence of the benefits and challenges of trade and investment for development, drawing on experiences from economies in various parts of the world.