The world's trade regime is promoted by international agencies and most governments as the best way to lift the poor out of poverty and achieve sustainable development. But does it contribute to human development or not? This reassessment looks in detail at the way it has worked under the GATT and under the World Trade Organization, and analyses how it is working and how it can be improved. The book aims to make major contribution to the debates surrounding globalization and the impact of trade on the poor, on social stability and on the environment. It is intended to provide a benchmark for future policy discussion and analysis.

About the Author
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest UN agency, working in every member country around the world. The editor, Kamal Malhotra is a senior member of the UNDP's Bureau for Development Policy.

Reviews

'A call for a paradigm shift in trade discourse.'
Ali Said Mchumo, Deputy Secretary General, East African Community, former ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the WTO (1995-2002), Chair of the WTO's General Council (Feb 1999-2000) and coordinator for the Least Developed Countries in the WTO (2001).

'A key message of this book is that an evaluation of the multi-lateral trade regime should be based on whether it maximizes possibilities for human development - especially in developing countries.'
Future Survey

'What this book does is to argue, quite forcibly, that there must be a major shift away from this dominance by the rich countries.'
CNN Money

'The book can be read as a series of easily accessible chapters, even for the non-initiated, with well-demarcated chapters containing figures, tables and boxes that illustrate in a graphic way the glaring imbalances that bedevil the global trading system.'
International Affairs

'A far-reaching reassessment of current multilateral trade regimes examines how they can be improved in order to make a genuine contribution to human development.'
Business Horizon

'An authoritative and systematic handbook for trade negotiators and policy analysts alike'
World Trade Review, vol 2-3 2003

'A welcome contribution and should go some way to strengthen efforts to rebalance the existing asymmetries to the multilateral trade system'
World Trade Review, vol 2-3 2003

'This is a stimulating volume with a wealth of illustrative tables and figures. It has a truly international authorship and global perspective'.
Alan Hay, Geography, Jan 2004.

Book Information
ISBN 9781853839818
Author Kamal Malhotra
Format Hardback
Page Count 376
Imprint Earthscan Ltd
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 793g