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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)

Abstract

The paper looks at some 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 their crucial role in resolving the stalemate at the WTO and the Doha Round and the accelerating proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs). It also suggests possible areas where new plurilateral agreements—whether single or multiple issue-based—can be developed. The paper 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?," ADBI Working Papers 439, Asian Development Bank Institute.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0439
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thomas Cottier, 2006. "From Progressive Liberalization to Progressive Regulation in WTO Law," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(4), pages 779-821, December.
    2. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, 2011. "Future-proofing world trade in technology: Turning theWTO IT Agreement (ITA) into the International Digital Economy Agreement (IDEA)," Aussenwirtschaft, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economics Research, vol. 66(03), pages 279-322, September.
    3. Low, Patrick, 2011. "WTO decision-making for the future," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2011-05, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    4. Craig VanGrasstek & Pierre Sauvé, 2006. "The Consistency of WTO Rules: Can the Single Undertaking Be Squared with Variable Geometry?," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(4), pages 837-864, December.
    5. Robert Z. Lawrence, 2006. "Rulemaking Amidst Growing Diversity: A Club-of-Clubs Approach to WTO Reform and New Issue Selection," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(4), pages 823-835, December.
    6. Richard Baldwin, 2011. "Trade And Industrialisation After Globalisation's 2nd Unbundling: How Building And Joining A Supply Chain Are Different And Why It Matters," NBER Working Papers 17716, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Tijmes-Lhl, Jaime, 2009. "Consensus and majority voting in the WTO," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 417-437, July.
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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. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Kamin, Katrin & Chowdhry, Sonali & Hinz, Julian & Jacobs, Anna-Katharina & Kill, Sandra & Sandkamp, Alexander-Nikolai, 2021. "Perspektiven einer erfolgreichen europäischen Handelspolitik im Kontext geopolitischer Herausforderungen," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 314954, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. 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.
    4. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    plurilateral agreements; wto; fta; world trade organization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

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