Small Steps: Ending Trade’s Splendid Isolation from Human Rights

ID:
Title:	Small Steps: Ending Trade’s Splendid Isolation from Human Rights
Source:	Social Science Research Network
Parties:
Dispute Resolution Organ:
Year:	2007
Pages:	0
Author(s):	Powell, Stephen J.
Keywords:	trade, human rights, international trade, WTO, free trade, transparency, accountability, United Nations
Abstract:	The author advances three propositions that for him would portend the way to end trade’s splendid isolation from human rights. First, global trade rules contain an abundance of effective but unexplored safe harbors to shelter human rights measures from sanctions for violations of trade’s non-discrimination and other defining pillars. Second, the unheralded indirect effects of both the World Trade Organization (WTO) and regional trade free (sic) agreement (FTAs) in forcing governments to act with greater transparency and accountability have resulted in substantial advancement of human rights compliance. Finally, we can no longer seriously question that governments have an obligation to include in trade agreements enforceable provisions that ensure compliance by signatories with fundamental human rights. He is of the idea that trade’s right to regulate for human rights purposes must become trade’s obligation to regulate consistently with human rights law. And affirms that one of the most important steps to be taken is for the UN and regional human rights agencies to specify which are the human rights that are more closely connected to trade so that they can be considered as trade’s benchmarks.
Download Article:	Available here