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Plurilateral Agreements : A Viable Alternative to the World Trade Organization?

Author

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  • Michitaka Nakatomi

    (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI))

Abstract

Looking back at the history of the World Trade Organization (WTO), major accords that have been reached under the multilateral framework to date are in substance issue-based “plurilateral†agreements. This paper looks at some specific examples of issue-based plurilateral agreements—such as the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), the Financial Services and Basic Telecommunication Services Agreements, and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)—with the aim of pointing to the crucial role they can play in resolving the stalemate at the WTO and the Doha Round and the accelerating proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs). Through analysis of their characteristics compared with the WTO and FTAs, the paper attempts to identify the potentials as well as legal and substantive constraints of issue-based plurilateral agreements. It also suggests possible areas where new plurilateral agreements—whether single or multiple issue-based—can be developed. The paper also highlights the importance of plurilateral agreements as a mechanism complementary to the WTO and FTAs in enhancing the governance of the global trade system, and outlines conditions that need to be fulfilled to address the needs of developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Michitaka Nakatomi, 2013. "Plurilateral Agreements : A Viable Alternative to the World Trade Organization?," Governance Working Papers 23716, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:eab:govern:23716
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    File URL: http://www.eaber.org/node/23716
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    Cited by:

    1. Aizat Begzhan & Sagyngaliy Aidarbayev & Matthias Hartwig & Sailaubek Alibekov & Zhanat Zhailau, 2021. "International legal regulation of government procurement for sustainable development in the framework of the WTO," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(2), pages 95-109.
    2. Susara J. Jansen Van Rensburg & Riaan Rossouw & Wilma Viviers, 2020. "Liberalizing Bangladesh’s Services Trade: Is Joining Trade in Services Agreement the Way to Go?," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 21(1), pages 99-121, March.
    3. Andrea Saayman & Paolo Figini & Silvio Cassella, 2016. "The influence of formal trade agreements and informal economic cooperation on international tourism flows," Tourism Economics, , vol. 22(6), pages 1274-1300, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    WTO; issue-based plurilateral agreements; the Information Technology Agreement (ITA); FTA; the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

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