Organization of the international exchanges

Since the end of the Second world war, the international exchanges are governed within the framework of GATT then of the OMC inside which UNCTAD tries to establish a new international economic order (NOEI). Concurrently to that, one notes the development of regional economic agreements (creation of regional economic Zones of integration)

On a world level

Two agreements marked the organization of the international exchanges:

The GATT which fixes a code of conduct. The agreement of the Uruguay round which creates the World Trade organization. That transforms an general agreement an international organization

GATT (1947 - 1994)

Signed in Geneva on October 30th, 1947 by 23 country and come into effect on January 1st, 1948, GATT or GATT rests on principles aiming at supporting the exchange international by initially reducing the customs duties, before being interested in the barriers noncustoms.

Principles of GATT

Here succintement the principles of GATT are presented, for more details to refer to the article GATT

the principle of non-discrimination : a country which grants a commercial advantage to another country must immediately extend it to the countries signatories of the agreement.

the clause of the national treatment : each country is committed applying the same rules (taxation, standards) to its territory to the level of the foreign products and companies that to the level of the national products and companies.

the principle of the general and progressive lowering of the customs duties In order to reach that point of the multilateral Negotiation cycles are organized.

the principle of the prohibition of the quantitative restrictions or quota.

the principle of the prohibition of the dumping and the export subsidies

the payment of the conflicts based mainly on the negotiation

Many exemptions are envisaged in the general agreement, thus limiting the range even basic principles.

OMC (since 1994)

Begun in September 1986 with Punta del Este (Uruguay), the final act of the cycle of Uruguay is adopted on December 15th, 1993 with Geneva and is signed with Marrakech on April 15th, 1994. The principal results of the Uruguay round are the following:

the installation of a World Trade organization (OMC)

OMC replaces GATT and covers the agreements made in the framework of the General agreement of 1947 and the results of the multilateral trade negotiations of the Uruguay Round (in addition to the agreement instituting OMC, the final act comprises twenty-eight agreements).

OMC fulfills five functions:

- to manage the trade agreements multilatéraux
- to be used as enclosure for news négociations
- to settle the disagreements between the membres
- to examine the marketing policies nationales
- to cooperate with the other international agencies (the IMF, BIRD etc)

the introduction of new fields into the negotiations

reforms of the settlement of the disputes

Previously, the disagreements were arbitrated by an group of expert called panel. To become operational, these arbitrations were to be accepted by the whole of the contracting parties (rule of the consensus). Henceforth, reports/ratios of the panels (3 experts nonamenable to the involved parts) - examined by the body of settlement of the disputes gathering the representative of all the Member States - will apply automatically.

multilateral negotiation cycles commercial

See the article multilateral negotiation cycles commercial.

The UNCTAD

Institution

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Developme (UNCTAD) was created on December 30th, 1964 by the General meeting of the United Nations as a body of the General meeting in the field of the trade and the development.

Permanent intergovernmental organization, the UNCTAD counts 190 Member States and its main objective is to promote the international business and the economic development of the countries in voice of development in order to establish a new international economic order.

Great achievements

One can quote in particular:

- the Agreement on the system generalized of preferences (SGP) " in virtue of which the developed countries apply rights very low or zero to many products exported by the developing countries, without search for commercial concessions in contreparties".

- the creation of a pool for the basic commodities, intended to finance international stock regulators as well as the pole research and development.

- the agreement on the amount of the government aid to the development (ADP) on behalf of the donor countries: 0,7% of the GNP for the assistance with the DEVELOPING COUNTRIES in general and 0,15% for the assistance with the least advanced countries (LDC). This point however was never respected.

The tenth session of the conference (12 February 19th, 2000)

At this tenth session, the general secretary of the organization - Rubens Ricupero - evoked the need for a " World parliament for the Universalization " ; its idea is to join together General states of universalization in order to make hear the voice of the countries of the South.

At the regional level

Forms of regional integration

According to the typology worked out by Bleated Balassa, one retains, in ascending order, six degrees of territorial economic integration:

1. the economic cooperation

To facilitate the trade enter the members and to eliminate certain barriers with the investments or the establishments.

2. the free exchange zone

The goods circulate freely, the barriers tariff or non-tariff are removed but the Member States preserve their own customs system with respect to third countries.

3. the customs union

It is a free exchange zone accompanied by the establishment by a Commun Customs Tariff or common external tariff with regard to third countries.

4. the Common Market

To eliminate all the barriers with the trade from the goods between the members, to adopt a common external customs tariff and to allow free movement of the goods, people, capital and possibly of the services.

5. economic union

It is a doubled Common Market of a harmonization of the economic policies leading to the monetary union, even the single currency.

6. Integration politique'

The unification of the economic policies and social is carried out.

The European Union is an good example of creation D a space of regional integration:

1 Creation of ECSC

2 the the Treaty of Rome instituting the EEC in 1957

3 Customs union in 1968

4 the European Single act 1987

5 the Treated of Maastricht 1992

6 Attempt at constitution 2005

Principal regional economic zones of integration

See regional economic Zones of integration

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