Alain Salle

International business

Question 3 :
So far, the WTO has struggled to reach agreement on the Doha Agenda and consequently, in the opinion of some commentators, is losing its relevance. Critically assess the arguments for and against this view.

Introduction
Since 1995, the World trade Organization (WTO) looks after the international business. Its goal is to help producer, exporter and importer to conduct their business. To do that, WTO tries to reduce barriers to free trade. Mainly, “WTO deals with trade rules between countries” ( Comprendre l'OMC, World Trade Organisation). It is frameworks within governments negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade arguments.
The Doha round is a round of negotiations for a period of three years performed under the auspices of the WTO. It started in 2001. One of its main goals was to improve market access, especially for developing countries. It was expected that poor countries would be exempted to open their markets, benefiting from the open markets of richer countries without reciprocal (Les gagnants et les perdants du statu quo commercial [archive], le monde, 30/07/08). The main point of disagreement was the agriculture. Indeed, it was proposed to open markets and reduce, then eliminate, all forms of export subsidies and domestic support to agriculture.
Given the permanent disagreement between states, including the liberalization of agriculture, the Doha round is considered as a failure the July 24, 2006 by Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO (OMC: la libéralisation du commerce mondial compromise [archive], Le Devoir, 2006-07-25). For many commentators it has been a failure, and therefore, WTO lost its relevance.
Since end of the 90’s anti-globalization people accuse WTO of promoting economic globalization and trade liberalization. The treaties are accused to encourage more entrepreneurs in rich countries that employees or poor countries.
Instead, some economists, like