WTO and ILO - trade and labour

Question 1

what was the bretton woods conferences’ aim?

Answer 1

to create economic and financial institutions to mitigate/prevent an economic crisis like the great depression

Question 2

was an organization created in the bretton woods conference?

Answer 2

no, countries couldn’t agree on the establishment of the international trade organization

Question 3

disagreements in the bretton woods conference (3)

Answer 3

1. US wanted extended trade liberalization
2. EU wanted preferential deals with former colonies.
3. developing countries pushed for the protection of commodities

Question 4

what did the bretton woods conference result in?

Answer 4

the general agreement on tariffs and trade

Question 5

difference between early-late gatt negotiation rounds?

Answer 5

earlier rounds focused on tariffs, the other’s included intellectual property rights, agriculture, textile

Question 6

which gatt round created wto?

Answer 6

uruguay - 1980s and WTO created in 1995

Question 7

doha round

Answer 7

failure to reach an agreement to continue negotiations- increasing bilateral agreements and regresssion in trade governance

Question 8

is the WTO intergovernmental?

Answer 8

yes, it is purely intergovernmental- all decisions are taken in the member states bodies, there’s no supranational authority
decision-making is by consensus

Question 9

ministerial conference - wto

Answer 9

highest decision-making organ - annual meeting of trade ministers

Question 10

general council - wto

Answer 10

trade officials, who meet in different settings to discuss trade in goods, services, agriculture, intellectual property

Question 11

important aspects of wto (2)

Answer 11

1. transperancy- fixed and public lists of import tariffs for all products
2. court-like dispute settlement procedures for complaints

Question 12

objectives of wto

Answer 12

1. regulating international trade with the intention to decrease tariffs
2. avoid protectionism as causes of the global crises in 1920s

Question 13

underlying assumption of WTO

Answer 13

market-driven trade maximizes growth/prosperity

politically motivated trades enrich one sector/country at the expense of others

Question 14

bound tariffs

Answer 14

each member is required to agree to a ceiling for the import tariff it charges on each imported good (trump violated this)

Question 15

most favoured nation principle

Answer 15

article1 gatt: the best agreement made with another country serves as the standard for agreements with other countries (simplifies the global trade system, leads to lower import tarrifs)

Question 16

national treatment

Answer 16

prohibits any discrimination between a countries own product, and what it imports

Question 17

exemptions from national treatment

Answer 17

1. general: necessary measures to protect human, animal, plant life
2. security: protect essential national security interests
3. regional trade agreements - allowed because they lower tarrifs
4. balance of payments: measures to safeguard external financial situation

Question 18

dispute settlement (6)

Answer 18

1. first attempt of bilateral resolution
2. complaint to wto
3. wto appoints a panel of 3 experts who write a report
4. the complaining and accused country go to appeal to the Appellate body
5. second appeal: DSB approves or rejects the report- the decision is legally binding
6. in case of non-compliance, economic sanctions are allowed

Question 19

is DSM dead?

Answer 19

since 2017 US blocks WTO judges appointments - body has been suspended since 2019

some countries tried to continue with other means- declaration of the EU, China, Canada …. temporary alternative mechanism

Question 20

seatle protests of 1999

Answer 20

wto contributes to growing inequality and excludes goods of poorest countries- contributed to the decline of wealth in the global south

Question 21

what were the effects of the seatle protests?

Answer 21

it disabled the doha round

Question 22

what are main criticisms of the wto? (4)

Answer 22

1. fails to adress agricultural subsidies
2. rules ignore environmental and labour-related issues
3. lack of transparancy in green room negotiations
4. hinders access to affordable medicine

Question 23

ILO origins

Answer 23

1919 in the context of the league of nations- specialized agency of the UN since 1946

Question 24

organization of ilo (3)

Answer 24

international labour conference: plenary organ, meets annually to discuss new labour conditions

international labour office: bureaucratic support

governing body: executive organ, checks compliance (10 most important countries, but is flexible)

Question 25

policies of ilo

Answer 25

conventions are legally binding if ratified, reccomendations are not

agreement on labour standards in the conventions/ reccomendations with 2/3 majority

Question 26

compliance (3)

Answer 26

1. tripartism: government, employer, group representatives are all present
2. voluntarism: member states need to ratify, so they intend to comply
3. peer pressure: if one convention is adopted by a wide range of members, there will be pressure

Question 27

complaint structure- ilo

Answer 27

submitted by member states/worker/employer/group/ilo governing body

investigated by commissions of inquiry => report

ultimate action: sanctions of expulsion

Question 28

what is the kafala system?

Answer 28

employment worked through sponsporship-tied the worker to the company

Question 29

recruitment issues

Answer 29

companies withold the workers passport, they require workers to pay recruitment fees to agencies

Question 30

employment issues

Answer 30

prevents workers from engaging in collective bargaining, inadequate housing, they can’t file complaints

Question 31

termination and respiration issues

Answer 31

non-payments of wages

Question 32

who launched a complaint against qatar’s kafala system?

Answer 32

complaint launched by international transport workers federation (ITF)
+
international trade union conferedation (ITUC)

Question 33

ilo decision on qatar

Answer 33

one year to reform kafala system- then in 2017 it was dropped after the reforms have been introduced (accommodation, bank payment)