The document discusses neoliberal principles and the World Trade Organization (WTO). It notes that the "Washington Consensus" guiding economic policy for 20 years was announced dead in 2009. It explores critiques of the WTO related to crisis economies, social justice, labor standards, and environmental damage. The WTO's dispute settlement system has favored trade over environmental regulation. While increased trade could damage the environment, processes for regulating trade and production methods may provide optimism.

1. Neoliberal principles and WTO
GEG vs. GED
Mikhail Parfentyev

2. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
At the meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) heads of state in
the spring of 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
announced the death of “the Washington Consensus”—the
famous list of market-liberalizing policy prescriptions that
guided the previous 20 years of economic policy.
(Painter, 2009)
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3. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
Lost in translation: WTO
World Tyranny Oligarchy
Or
World Trade Organization
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4. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
Main directions of critique
 problems of crisis economies
 social justice
 labor standards
 environmental damage
 Degree of influence on it?
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5. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
Environment
“allowing for the optimal use of the world’s resources in
accordance with the objective of sustainable
development, seeking to both protect and preserve the
environment and to enhance the means for doing so in a
manner consistent with their respective needs and concerns
at different levels of economic development.”
(From the Preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement)
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6. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
To identify the relationship between trade measures and
environmental measures in order to promote sustainable
development; to make appropriate recommendations on
whether any modifications of the provisions of the
multilateral trading system are required, compatible with the
open, equitable and non-discriminatory nature of the
system.
(Committee on Trade and Environment)
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7. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
Neoliberalism in action
The WTO Dispute Settlement System
When issues essentially of free trade, on one hand, and
environmental regulation, on the other, have come into
conflict, the GATT/WTO dispute system has always found in
favor of trade and against environmental regulation.
(Hartwick and Peet, p. 202)
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8. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
Main argument
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9. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
"in the absence of proper environmental regulation and
resource management, increased trade might cause so
much adverse damage that the gains from trade would be
less than the environmental costs”
(Charnovitz, 1999)
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10. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
Conclusion: An Optimistic view
 The process of “crystallization” (MEAs)
 Process Production Methods (PPMs)
 Wake-up call on the potential of the trade rules
According Halle, 2006
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11. Mikhail Parfentyev 10.12.2012
References
 Charnovitz S. (1999) "Addressing Environmental and Labor Issues in the World Trade
Organization". Trade and Global Markets: World Trade Organization. Progressive Policy
Institute;
 Chroev N. and Babb S. (2009) The crisis of neoliberalism and the future on international
institutions: A comparison of the IMF and the WTO, Springer science pp.459-484;
 Halle M. (2006) WTO and Sustainable Development (A chapter in “The WTO and East
Asian Regional Integration”) [Online] Available at:
http://www.iisd.org/publications/pub.aspx?id=779;
 Hart-Landsberg M. (2006) Neoliberalism: Myths and reality, Monthly Review [Online]
Available at: http://monthlyreview.org/2006/04/01/neoliberalism-myths-and-reality;
 Hartwick E. and Peet R. (2003) Neoliberalism and Nature: The Case of the WTO, ANNALS,
AAPS, 590. [Online] Available at: http://ann.sagepub.com/content/590/1/188;
 Painter A. (2009) The Washington Consensus is Dead, The Guardian, 4/10/2009;
 UNCTAD (1999) Trade and Development Report 1999, New York:United Nations;
 Weisbrot M., Baker D. and Rosnick D (2005) The Scorecard on Development: 25 Years of
Diminished Progress, Washington, D.C., Center for Economic and Policy Research;
 WTO: World Tyranny Oligarchy [Online] Availble
at:http://www.km.ru/spetsproekty/2012/06/06/vto-vsemirnaya-tiraniya-oligarkhata.
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