The (Neglected) Employment Dimension of the World Trade Organization

Steve Charnovitz

Chapter 14 in The Path of World Trade Law in the 21st Century, 2014, pp 615-650 from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Abstract: A key assumption underlying the World Trade Organization (WTO) is that its program of trade negotiations will “strengthen the world economy and lead to more trade, investment, employment and income growth throughout the world”. Indeed, that was the first point included in the Marrakesh Declaration of Apri1 1994 that consummated the Uruguay Round and established the WTO. In my view, the WTO truly is strengthening the “world economy” and promoting trade and investment in many parts of the world. Yet the rest of the thesis is debatable. Is it necessarily true that the WTO and the trade negotiations it sponsors are increasing employment and income growth throughout the world? Indeed, even aggregating the world economy into one planetary unit, one wonders whether increased trade (and its ensuing dynamic efficiencies) inevitably increases the quantity of global employment. Even if it does, what is the quality of the jobs created? Does the WTO promote what the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls “decent work”…

Keywords: International Law; Environment; Global Law; World Trade; International Organization; Labor Law; Sustainable Development; Labor Relations; WTO; International Migration; Discrimination; International Governance; Globalization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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