A panel discussion on The Vexed Issue of Linkages

CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment and Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

A panel discussion on

THE VEXED ISSUE OF LINKAGES
Wednesday 1st December 1999

VENUE:
Marion Room,
Renaissance Madison Hotel, 515 Madison Street,
Seattle, Washington 98104, USA

A Panel Discussion on the issue of linkages of trade with labour standards or with environmental standards etc. Eminent speakers of opposing views will debate the matter, which has become quite controversial. Some of the industrialised countries, and members of the civil society, are pushing for one or the other issue to be incorporated into the WTO, while many in the civil society and the developing countries as a bloc are against the incorporation of any such standards into the multilateral trade regime. Their fear is that such standards can be used as protectionist measures. On the other hand there are many who feel that unless such standards are adopted, liberalised trade would not translate into fair trade. Another section feels that amending trade rules to include such non-trade issues would enhance the powers of the WTO, which is anyway quite powerful and opaque.

Panellists:
Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia University, New York
Prof. Yash Tandon, International South Group Network, Harare
Ms. Kristin Dawkins, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis
Mr. Charles Arden-Clarke, WWF International, Geneva
Ms. Janine Ferretti, NAFTA’s Commission for Environmental Cooperation,
Ottawa
Mr. James Howard, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, Brussels
Moderator: Mr. Ricardo Melendez, International Centre for Trade & Sustainable
Development, Geneva

For further information click here