Au Canada et au Québec, au cours des années 2000, la migration des travailleurs qualifiés originaires d’Amérique du Sud a connu une croissance très rapide. Pourtant, ce flux migratoire et sa composante féminine ne semblent pas avoir fait l’objet d’une lecture sociologique. Ce travail vise à combler quelques lacunes dans ce domaine des connaissances, en examinant le processus d’intégration économique d’immigrantes d’origine sud-américaine arrivées durant cette décennie. L’étude comprend l’analyse de 16 cas de femmes originaires de divers pays d’Amérique du Sud qui ont un diplôme universitaire ou l’équivalent, qui avaient déjà une expérience de travail dans leur pays d’origine et qui possèdent une bonne maîtrise de la langue française. Les questions qui guident cette recherche dépassent l’aspect statistique ou sociodémographique d’un groupe non étudié dans le contexte canadien. Le but principal de ce mémoire consiste à examiner l’importance d’une variété de ressources culturelles et symboliques qui sont déployées tout au long du processus d’intégration socioéconomique par des immigrantes sud-américaines de la catégorie des « travailleurs qualifiés » dans le contexte montréalais. Dans ce but, l’étude analyse comment les ressources acquises dans la société d’origine ont des impacts sur le parcours professionnel de ces femmes, en leur permettant de définir des stratégies d’intégration sur le marché du travail dans la société réceptrice. L’analyse se déploie à partir de la problématisation des facteurs construits socioculturellement comme catégories de structuration et de hiérarchisation qui, selon le contexte, définissent la position sociale et qui, à travers l’expérience, expliquent la position situationnelle des immigrantes sud-américaines. L’accès, l’utilisation et la mobilisation des ressources pour définir des stratégies d’intégration socioprofessionnelle sont analysés à partir de quatre axes : l’expérience, la dimension intersubjective, le contexte institutionnel et organisationnel, et finalement, la dimension représentationnelle. / During the beginning of the 21st century the migration of skilled workers from South America to Canada and Quebec has grown very fast. However, this migration and its female component do not appear to have been the subject of a sociological reading. This work aims to fill some gaps in this subject by examining the process of economic integration of South American female immigrants who have arrived in Canada in this last decade. The study includes the analysis of 16 cases of women from various South American countries, specifically women who have a university degree or equivalent, who have working experience in their country of origin and who have a good knowledge of French. The questions guiding this research go beyond the statistical or socio-demographics analysis of a group not studied before in the Canadian context. The central aim of this work is to examine the importance of a range of cultural and symbolic resources that are deployed in the process of the socio-economic integration of South American female immigrants in Montreal who arrived into the category of "skilled workers.” With this aim, the study analyzes how the cultural and symbolic resources acquired in the society of origin can affect the success of these women by allowing them to define strategies of labour market integration in the receiving society. In considering the original and host societies as the social referents, this study offers an understanding of the importance of both the context and the personal experience that will impact directly on the career paths of female skilled immigrants in the post-migratory context. The analysis extends from the study of factors constructed as socio-cultural and hierarchical categories which, depending on the context, defines the social position and through experience, defines the situational position of immigrants. The access, use and mobilization of resources to develop strategies of socio-professional integration are analyzed from four axes : the experiential, the inter-subjective, the organizational and the representational dimensions.

Les études portant sur l’adéquation entre le niveau de formation des individus et celui requis pour l’emploi occupé se sont peu attardées à la dimension temporelle de cette relation. De plus, peu ont abordé la question chez les immigrants canadiens, et de surcroît chez les travailleurs immigrants sélectionnés du Québec. Une seule étude abordant le sujet sous un angle longitudinal a été recensée et se limite à l’accès des travailleurs qualifiés à un premier emploi correspondant à leur niveau de compétences. Cette thèse cherche à aller au-delà des premières transitions sur le marché du travail et vise à mieux comprendre l’évolution de la relation formation-emploi au fil du temps d’établissement. Plus spécifiquement, l’objectif y est de mieux circonscrire l’évolution de la relation formation-emploi au cours des premières années suivant l’arrivée du migrant, d’en identifier les déterminants, mais également de voir l’impact de cette relation sur d’autres dimensions de la qualité de l’emploi : le statut socioéconomique et le salaire. Afin de mieux comprendre les déterminants de l’occupation d’emplois correspondant à son niveau de compétences et d’emplois pour lesquels l’individu est suréduqué ainsi que leur impact respectif sur le statut d’emploi et le salaire, cette thèse considère l’apport de théories sociologiques et économiques. D’une part, différentes théories s’opposent quant au caractère temporaire ou permanent de la suréducation. Ce faisant, elles soulèvent l’impact potentiel des expériences en emploi passées sur le parcours futur et la nécessité d’une vision longitudinale de l’insertion professionnelle. D’autre part, d’autres approches soulèvent, en plus des déterminants individuels, le rôle du contexte social et institutionnel dans lequel l’individu s’insère. Ces différentes approches trouvent écho dans la perspective empirique du parcours de vie qui permet de considérer l’interrelation entre des facteurs micro, méso et macro sociaux et de se représenter les parcours biographiques au fil du temps. L'Enquête sur les travailleurs sélectionnés (ETS) a rendu possible l'étude des parcours en emploi de cette catégorie d'immigrant sélectionnée en fonction de son potentiel d'insertion à la société québécoise dans la mesure où celle-ci comporte à la fois des données administratives sur la situation prémigratoire des travailleurs immigrants, de même que de l'information datée sur chacun des emplois occupés après la migration. L’analyse a été effectuée en trois temps soit : une description du lien entre le niveau de formation et l’emploi, l’étude des déterminants de la relation formation-emploi et finalement, l’étude des salaires et effet de la relation formation-emploi sur ceux-ci. Chacun de ces trois volets est présenté sous forme d’articles soumis pour publication. Les résultats montrent que la proportion d’individus occupant des emplois correspondant à leur niveau de compétences augmente avec le temps passé dans la société d’accueil. Cependant, la suréducation demeure un phénomène présent chez la catégorie des travailleurs immigrants sélectionnés. À ce titre, les premières expériences en emploi sont déterminantes dans la mesure où elles ont un impact non seulement sur l’évolution de la relation formation-emploi, mais également sur les salaires et les statuts des emplois décrochés par les nouveaux arrivants. La grille de sélection, élément central du processus par lequel un candidat peut devenir immigrant au Québec, à travers les attributs des individus qu’elle retient, contribue aussi à façonner les parcours en emploi. La région de provenance des immigrants distingue également les immigrants entre eux, toutes choses égales par ailleurs. La majorité des groupes sont désavantagés lorsqu’ils sont comparés à leurs compatriotes de l’Europe de l’Ouest et des États-Unis, et ce désavantage perdure au fil des années. Cette thèse a démontré que l’insertion professionnelle et la relation formation-emploi sont des sujets se devant d’être abordés sous un angle longitudinal pour bien saisir la complexité des processus à l’œuvre. Au niveau social, les analyses auront permis de montrer l’importance de se pencher sur les services offerts aux immigrants pour les aider dans leur insertion professionnelle, surtout dans un contexte où des départs à la retraite massifs et des pénuries de main-d'œuvre qualifiée sont à prévoir. / Studies on the adequacy between the level of education of individuals and that required for the job held have rarely addressed the temporal dimension of this relationship. Moreover, few have addressed the issue among Canadian immigrants, and fewer still for skilled workers in Quebec. One study examining the subject from a longitudinal perspective has been identified, but is limited to the access of skilled workers to a first job corresponding to their skill level. This thesis seeks to go beyond the first transitions to the labour market and aims to better understand the evolution of the relationship between education and employment over the course of settlement. More specifically, the objective is to better define the progression of this relationship during the first years after the migrant’s arrival, to identify its determinants, but also to see the impact of this relationship on other dimensions of job quality: socio-economic status and salary. This thesis considers the contribution of sociological and economic theories in order to better understand the determinants of having jobs that match one’s level of skills and jobs for which the individual is over-educated, as well as their respective impacts on employment status and salary. On the one hand, various theories disagree regarding the temporary or permanent nature of over-education. In so doing, they highlight the potential impact of past job experiences on the job course and the need for a longitudinal view of labour market integration. On the other hand, other approaches underline, in addition to individual determinants, the role of the social and institutional context in which the individual belongs. These different approaches are reflected in the empirical perspective of the life course that allows us to consider the interrelationship between micro, meso and macro social factors and to represent individual histories through time. Data from the "Enquête sur les travailleurs sélectionnés" (ETS) includes both administrative data on the pre-migration situation of immigrant workers, as well as information on each job held after migration, making possible the study of pathways into employment for this immigrant category which is selected based on its potential for integration into Quebec society. The analysis was conducted in three phases, including a description of the relationship between educational attainment and employment, the study of the determinants of the education-job relationship and finally, the study of wages and the effect of the education-job relationship on them. Each of these three components is presented in the form of articles ready to be submitted for publication. The results show that the proportion of individuals in jobs that match their skill level increases with time spent in the host society. However, over-education is a phenomenon present among the skilled worker immigration category. As such, the first job experiences are critical since they have an impact not only on the evolution of the relationship between education and employment, but also on wages and the socio-economic status of jobs obtained by new immigrants. The selection grid, a central element of the process through which a candidate can become an immigrant in Quebec, also helps shape the job course through the attributes of the individuals that it retains. Region of origin distinguishes immigrants as well, all things being equal. Most groups are disadvantaged when compared to their counterparts from Western Europe and the United States, and this disadvantage persists over the years. This thesis has shown that economic integration and the education-job relationship are topics to be addressed from a longitudinal perspective in order to understand the complexity of the processes at work. At the social level, analyses have demonstrated the importance of looking at the services offered to immigrants to help them establish economically, especially in a context where retirements and massive labour shortages are expected to happen.

L'intégration européenne occasionne de multiples dilemmes pour les organisations syndicales, habitués à exercer leurs répertoires d'action dans un espace d'État-nation. Parmi les dilemmes spécifiquement liés à la gouvernance multiniveaux européenne, nous comptons la mobilité de la main-d'œuvre et la création d'un marché unique pour les services. Cette thèse examine les stratégies des organisations syndicales danoises et suédoises de trois secteurs pour s'attaquer à ces deux dilemmes. Des approches néo-institutionnalistes, notamment celle concernant les « variétés du capitalisme », s'attendraient à des réponses relativement uniformes, axées sur les fortes complémentarités institutionnelles nationales, tenant compte de la nature coordonnée des relations industrielles scandinaves. Notre thèse confirme que les institutions nationales jouent un rôle important pour atténuer les impacts de l'intégration économique, au fur et à mesure que l'intégration progresse. L'analyse de nos cas, basée sur plus de soixante entretiens semi-dirigés effectués en Europe, nous permet cependant d'affirmer un rôle également important pour des facteurs endogènes, notamment l'entrepreneuriat institutionnel et les capacités stratégiques. / European integration induces multiple dilemmas for trade unions whose repertories of action are normally limited to the scope of the nation state. Free movement of workers and the establishment of a common market for services are among said dilemmas that surface specifically in the context of European multilevel governance of industrial relations. This doctoral thesis examines trade union strategies in Denmark and Sweden in three sectors that address these two dilemmas. Neo-institutionalism, specifically “varieties of capitalism” literature, suggests that responses should be relatively uniform, centred around strong institutional complementarities on the national level, because of the strongly coordinated nature of the Nordic economies and industrial relations model. Our thesis confirms that national institutions play an important role in order to mitigate pressures of economic integration, in the long run. However, based on over sixty semi-structured interviews in Europe, our cases also ascertain an important role for endogenous factors, such as institutional entrepreneurship and strategic capabilities.

Unlike many other international instruments, accession to the WTO does not simply require the commitment of the government to sign and ratify the multilateral agreements. A country needs to make considerable legislative and administrative changes to comply with the standards of the WTO and its members to finalize the negotiation for accession. For governments with impure free market economy policy the challenges amplify. The government of Ethiopia publicly pronounces its adherence to the ideology of the developmental state. On the other hand the nucleus of WTO principles is progressive trade liberalization. Therefore, this dissertation tries to provide some reflection on the paradox created as a result of the divergence in priority between WTO principles and developmental state in the context of Ethiopian desire to join the organization. The research is an interdisciplinary work. The issues that will be discussed are not purely legal in their nature. They have legal, political and economic dimensions. And the main focus of the paper is on trade in services and foreign investment negotiation aspect of the accession. Furthermore the objective of the dissertation is to give some insight for policy makers about the challenges and opportunities that „Developmental State‟ ideology will pose in the accession process of Ethiopia to the WTO. The research is divided into five chapters. Chapter one gives introductory remarks about the concept of the developmental state and accession to the WTO. The limitations of the WTO accession process and an overview of the features of developmental state in the world and particularly in Ethiopia are also briefly discussed in the chapter. The origin and concept of developmental state in the world, in Africa and Ethiopia is discussed in some detail under chapter two. The chapter also tries to show the impact of developmental state policies in the laws of the country that are going to be deliberated in the process of accession. Chapter three is about accession to the WTO. In this chapter the requirements, benefits, challenges and procedures of accession are dealt in depth. The writer debates and tries to show the fact that the system is slowly shifting from rule based negotiation to power and precedent based negotiation. By analyzing the laws of Ethiopia that are inspired by the principles of developmental state against the legal and precedent requirements to join the WTO, I tried to correlate the findings of chapter two and three in chapter four. Specific strategies and advises on how to move the negotiation forward on certain areas are also outlined in this chapter. Finally, conclusion and my summarized recommendations are placed under chapter five. / Economics / LL. M. (with specialization in International Economic Law)

As teorias de desenvolvimento passaram por evolução histórico-conceitual ao longo do século XX, e o conceito considerado mais adequado para medir o desenvolvimento dos países é o do Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) da ONU. O IDH é elaborado com base na obra do economista indiano Amartya Sen, e considera diversas variáveis na classificação dos países, todas juntas formando uma estrutura base para que o indivíduo tenha liberdade de escolher os rumos de sua vida dentro da sociedade. O comércio é um fator importante para o desenvolvimento, pois permite a especialização da produção em razão de aptidões de cada um e o aumento da produtividade, pois as trocas garantem a cada indivíduo a possibilidade de obter todos os bens de que necessitam para a vida sem a precisar fabricar cada um deles. O comércio internacional é, portanto, um catalisador do desenvolvimento. Sua evolução histórica em busca do livre comércio levou à formação do sistema multilateral baseado na não-discriminação e eliminação gradual de barreiras comerciais, que teve impulso com as Rodadas GATT e ganhou corpo com a instituição da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC). Por sua vez, o regionalismo é um movimento antigo e complexo, composto por variáveis geográficas, políticas, econômicas, culturais e jurídicas, entre outras. Suas primeiras manifestações estão ainda na Idade Antiga, mas o fenômeno ganhou força nos últimos tempos em razão da disseminação dos acordos preferenciais de comércio, aceitos dentro do sistema multilateral como exceção ao princípio da nação mais favorecida (artigo XXIV do GATT) por ser entendido como mecanismo de facilitação das concertações multilaterais e alavanca do desenvolvimento dos países. O grande envolvimento dos países em desenvolvimento e de menor desenvolvimento relativo em processos de integração regional e a manutenção de sua condição de subdesenvolvimento em relação às economias mais avançadas fazem questionar a assertiva de que o regionalismo promove o desenvolvimento dos países. Utilizando o exemplo da América Latina, pretende-se analisar a questão e seus desdobramentos, concluindo sobre a efetividade do regionalismo em promover o desenvolvimento dos países. / The theories of development have had an historic and conceptual evolution through the XX Century. The Human Development Index, from United Nations, is the parameter considered the most adequate to measure the development of the countries. It is inspired on the research of the Indian economist Amartya Sen, and considers several elements at the countries HDI classification, all elements being what is believed to be the basic structure for every individual to be free to make its own decisions regarding its living. Trade an important issue to the development, as it allows the production specialization, considering the singular characteristics of each country and the increase in productivity, (because the commercial exchange guarantees the possibility of acquiring all the products necessary for living without having to make each one of them). For this reason, the international exchanges are an important tool for development, and its evolution has always target the freedom of trade, based at principles such as non-discrimination and elimination of trade barriers, which had a great impulse with the GATT Rounds and the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The regionalism is an antique and complex movement, composed by geographic, political, economic, cultural and juridical variables, among others. Although its first manifestations can be found at the Ancient Age, the recent phenomenon is based on the proliferation of preferential commercial arrangements, accepted by the multilateral system as exceptions of the principle of the most favored nation (article XXIV of GATT), because it is believed that regional agreements facilitate the implementation of the multilateral system and generates the development of the countries. The great participation of developing countries and least developed countries in regional trade arrangements and its persistent subdeveloped condition when compared to the developed economies makes us question the statement that regionalism promotes development. Using the example of the Latin America, this thesis intends to analyze the issue and conclude on the efficacy of the regionalism in promoting the development of the involved countries.

[pt] Esta pesquisa tem como tema a aproximação entre as agendas internacionais de comércio e meio ambiente, mais especificamente a inserção de cláusulas ambientais em acordos internacionais de comércio, a partir da experiência do Nafta. Busca as origens deste fenômeno na sociedade civil dos EUA, utilizando-se do conceito neogramsciano de hegemonia. Argumenta-se que o projeto de integração econômica regional é parte da estratégia de consolidação da hegemonia dos EUA, mas que a negociação do Acaan - acordo paralelo para tratar a questão ambiental - é resultado da atuação de ONGs ambientalistas desta sociedade civil. Examina-se o desenho institucional do Nafta e do Acaan, concedendo especial ênfase aos mecanismos de solução de controvérsias. Explorando os traços do desenho institucional e as contradições geradas principalmente a partir do Capítulo sobre investimentos, conclui-se que os interesses econômicos vêm prevalecendo sobre os ambientais. / [en] This Project concerns with the approach of the international agendas of trade and environment, working with the Nafta´s experience. Making use of the neo-gramscian concept of hegemony, the search look for these phenomenon origins in the US civil society. It argues that the economic regional integration is part of the US strategy of hegemonic consolidation, but in respect of Naaec - the side agreement negotiated to deal with de environment issues - it argues that it results from the US environmetalist NGOs actions. It examinate the Nafta´s and Naaec´s institutional design, giving special attention to the dispute settlement procedures. Exploring the institutional design characteristics and the contradictions that born from the agreements, mainly in respect of the investment Chapter, it concludes that the economic interests have being prevailing over the environmental ones.

La Communauté des Etats d’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO) est l’une des « Communautés économiques régionales » africaines les plus dynamiques. L’ampleur de ses objectifs se révèle par les compétences qu’elle exerce dans les domaines de l’économie, de la sécurité et de la défense, des droits de l’homme et demain, en matière monétaire. Lors de sa naissance en 1975, en vertu d’un traité de coopération entre 15 des 16 Etats d’Afrique de l’Ouest, la Communauté ne visait pourtant que la réalisation de programmes communs relevant exclusivement de la matière économique. Ce projet initial a été paralysé par des conflits armés dans certains Etats, qui ont entraîné des conséquences pour les autres pays, eux-mêmes souvent soumis à des troubles internes. Pour répondre à la poussée sécuritaire et pour renforcer l’efficacité économique, la CEDEAO est devenue en 1993 une Communauté politique et d’intégration économique. Elle ébauche alors une valorisation du respect des droits de l’homme dont le développement juridictionnel constitue une expérience originale. On peut parler d’une véritable juridictionnalisation de la Communauté depuis une vingtaine d’années. Les institutions communautaires ont fait l’objet de nombreuses réformes, certaines encore en cours, pour une répartition plus équilibrée de leurs compétences. En leur sein, la juridiction communautaire, créée en 1993, a renforcé ses activités grâce à la saisine par des personnes privées, notamment en matière des droits de l’homme. Les procédures d’examen des plaintes relèvent du droit communautaire, mais le droit substantiel dérive de l’interprétation que la Cour donne des instruments internationaux des droits de l’homme. Sa jurisprudence qui est systématiquement analysée dans la thèse reste fortement marquée par une asymétrie entre le contentieux des droits de l’homme en plein essor et celui de l’économie encore quasi-inexistant. Pour autant, en faisant progresser les principes de démocratie, d’Etat de droit et des droits de l’homme, c’est la sécurité juridique et l’intégration économique que la Communauté approfondit avec, comme objectif principal, le développement des populations. La sauvegarde de cet ordre juridique et juridictionnel fortement unitaire est indispensable. / The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is one of the most dynamic African "regional economic communities". Its goals span fields of economy, security and defense, human rights and, soon, monetary issues. When it was created in 1975, thanks to a treaty of co-operation pulling together 15 of the 16 West African States, the Community aimed only at carrying out joint programs related to economic issues. This initial project was undermined by armed conflicts in some states, as well as internal turmoil in some others. To respond to this security threat and to strengthen economic efficiency, ECOWAS has been transformed into a political and economic integration community in 1993. It then put emphasis on human rights. As such, the design process of its jurisdictional system is a genuine original experience.We can argue that there has been a real process of jurisdictionalization of the Community for twenty years. The Community institutions have been the subject of many reforms, some still in progress. The goal of these reforms is to create a more balanced distribution of power among the institutions. Within them, the Community jurisdiction, created in 1993, strengthened its activities by allowing referral from private persons, particularly in the field of human rights. Complaints procedures are governed by Community law, but the substantive law derives from the Court's interpretation of international human rights instruments. Its case law, which is systematically analyzed by our thesis, remains strongly marked by an asymmetry between the rapidly growing human rights litigation and that of the economy, which is still almost non-existent. However, in advancing the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, it is the legal security and economic integration that the Community deepens, with the main objective to promote development. Safeguarding this highly unified legal and jurisdictional system is paramount.

Die Arbeit untersucht die Gründe für die geographische Verteilung von Beschäftigung und Bevölkerung in Deutschland seit 1895. Deutschland bietet im Zeitraum 1895-2010 einen geeigneten Rahmen für diese Analyse, da beide Treiber räumlicher Verteilung – wirtschaftliche und politische Kräfte – wesentliche Veränderungen erfuhren. Sowohl die Ausstattung von Regionen mit Ressourcen als auch der Zugang zu Märkten beeinflusst die Verteilung von Industriestandorten. Deutsche Teilung und Wiedervereinigung verändern das langfristige Gleichgewicht von Industriestandorten nicht, der Zugang zu Märkten ist aber ein wichtiger Treiber des Gleichgewichtes, das in der Vorkriegszeit erreicht wurde. Die Spezialisierung von Regionen beschreibt eine U-förmige Entwicklung mit einem Hochpunkt in 1925, während die DDR erheblich spezialisierter als die BRD war. Die ökonometrische Analyse legt nahe, dass die DDR Wirtschaftspolitik Marktkräfte nicht langfristig außer Kraft setzen konnte. Ein neuer Datensatz zu Bodenrichtwerten in vier Bundesländern und 1533 Gemeinden für den Zeitraum 1980-2000 zeigt, dass Landpreiswachstum stark zwischen den Regionen variiert, wobei das Landpreisniveau stark mit Marktzugang korreliert. Städtische Regionen wachsen schneller als der ländliche Raum. Für das Zonenrandgebiet finde ich ein überproportionales Wachstum der Landpreise nach der Wiedervereinigung. Dieses Ergebnis schreibe ich dem Informations- und Erwartungsgehalt von Bodenrichtwerten zu. Landpreise reagieren schneller auf Veränderungen im Marktzugang, da sie langfristig zu erwartende Unternehmens- und Haushaltsumzüge umgehend berücksichtigen. Der Wiedervereinigungseffekt variiert stark zwischen Regionen, wobei kleinere Gemeinden den größten Zugewinn erleben. / This dissertation studies the underlying forces for the observed spatial distribution of employment and population in Germany since 1895. Germany in the period 1895-2010 offers a natural setting to empirically test competing explanations. Both determinants of spatial differences - economic and policy forces - received substantial shocks during this period. I find empirical support for both regional endowment and market access forces as determinants of industry location. Division and reunification shocks to market access did not alter the long-run spatial equilibrium of industry location, but they were important drivers in the formation of the pre-WWII equilibrium distribution. I observe a hump-shaped regional specialisation trend peaking around 1925, interrupted by the years of division during which the East became highly specialised. Furthermore, sectoral change occurred with a delay of about 20 years in East Germany. The econometric analysis suggests that policy regimes are unable to override economic forces. Using a new data set on standard land values in four German states and 1,533 boroughs along the inner German border spanning the period 1980-2000 I show that land value growth rates vary greatly across population densities. Urban areas grow faster than smaller regions in the period 1980-2000. Land value levels are highly correlated with market access. I find that land values have risen disproportionately in the former inner German border region. I attribute the finding that land prices react more quickly than population to the information and expectation component of land prices. Land values incorporate expectations about long-run equilibrium adjustments following reunification more swiftly, but firms and households are slower to react due to the costs of relocating. The positive reunification effect does however differ greatly across regions. I find that rural boroughs reap a larger share of the positive reunification gains.

La production locale des huiles alimentaires ne constitue plus une ligne de défense crédible face aux importations dans les pays de l’UEMOA. Cette réalité contraste avec les objectifs de la politique agricole et du tarif extérieur commun (TEC) de l’UEMOA censés protéger la production communautaire. Ainsi, sous l’éclairage de la littérature économique et en se basant sur des données empiriques, nous avons utilisé les équations simultanées par pays de l’UEMOA, les équations des données de panel et les équations gravitationnelles en données de panel pour déterminer l’impact de la libéralisation commerciale sur l’offre des huiles alimentaires dans les pays de l’UEMOA.Les résultats obtenus convergent vers une même conclusion : la confrontation des objectifs de protection de la production communautaire et d’ouverture commerciale aux tests de cohérence révèle des incohérences et des contradictions. Les politiques de libéralisation commerciale ont plutôt favorisé une déstructuration du tissu productif et une désorganisation de l’architecture commerciale. De facto, l’offre des huiles alimentaires affiche deux réactions contradictoires au regard de la libéralisation commerciale au sein des pays de l’UEMOA : une réaction dépressive affichée par la production qui plombe et une réaction explosive affichée par les importations qui flambent et qui sont attirées par des rentes de réexportation. Cependant, ces rentes constituent des mirages qui réservent des implications économiques aux conséquences destructrices avec l’adoption du TEC-CEDEAO. / Local production of edible oils in the WAEMU’s countries is no longer a credible defense line against imports. This reality contrasts with the objectives of agriculture policy and WAEMU’s Common External Tariff (CET) which are supposed to protect Community production. Thus, under the light of the economic literature and based on empirical data, we used simultaneous equations for each country of WAEMU, panel data and gravity equations with panel data to determine the impact of trade liberalization on supply of edible oils in WAEMU’s countries.The results obtained converge towards the same conclusion: the confrontation of objectives of protecting local production and trade openness policy with the coherence’s tests reveals some inconsistencies and contradictions. Thus, WAEMU fails to reconcile the Union's trade openness objectives with the protection objectives of edible oils producers. Trade liberalization policies have tended to favor a disintegration of the productive structure and disruption of trade architecture. Thus, the supply of edible oils shows two contradictory reactions with regard to the trade liberalization within the WAEMU’s countries: a depressive reaction displayed by the production and an explosive reaction displayed by the imports which are attracted by re-export rents. However, these rents are mirages that reserve destructive economic implications with the adoption of ECOWAS’CET.

As teorias de desenvolvimento passaram por evolução histórico-conceitual ao longo do século XX, e o conceito considerado mais adequado para medir o desenvolvimento dos países é o do Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) da ONU. O IDH é elaborado com base na obra do economista indiano Amartya Sen, e considera diversas variáveis na classificação dos países, todas juntas formando uma estrutura base para que o indivíduo tenha liberdade de escolher os rumos de sua vida dentro da sociedade. O comércio é um fator importante para o desenvolvimento, pois permite a especialização da produção em razão de aptidões de cada um e o aumento da produtividade, pois as trocas garantem a cada indivíduo a possibilidade de obter todos os bens de que necessitam para a vida sem a precisar fabricar cada um deles. O comércio internacional é, portanto, um catalisador do desenvolvimento. Sua evolução histórica em busca do livre comércio levou à formação do sistema multilateral baseado na não-discriminação e eliminação gradual de barreiras comerciais, que teve impulso com as Rodadas GATT e ganhou corpo com a instituição da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC). Por sua vez, o regionalismo é um movimento antigo e complexo, composto por variáveis geográficas, políticas, econômicas, culturais e jurídicas, entre outras. Suas primeiras manifestações estão ainda na Idade Antiga, mas o fenômeno ganhou força nos últimos tempos em razão da disseminação dos acordos preferenciais de comércio, aceitos dentro do sistema multilateral como exceção ao princípio da nação mais favorecida (artigo XXIV do GATT) por ser entendido como mecanismo de facilitação das concertações multilaterais e alavanca do desenvolvimento dos países. O grande envolvimento dos países em desenvolvimento e de menor desenvolvimento relativo em processos de integração regional e a manutenção de sua condição de subdesenvolvimento em relação às economias mais avançadas fazem questionar a assertiva de que o regionalismo promove o desenvolvimento dos países. Utilizando o exemplo da América Latina, pretende-se analisar a questão e seus desdobramentos, concluindo sobre a efetividade do regionalismo em promover o desenvolvimento dos países. / The theories of development have had an historic and conceptual evolution through the XX Century. The Human Development Index, from United Nations, is the parameter considered the most adequate to measure the development of the countries. It is inspired on the research of the Indian economist Amartya Sen, and considers several elements at the countries HDI classification, all elements being what is believed to be the basic structure for every individual to be free to make its own decisions regarding its living. Trade an important issue to the development, as it allows the production specialization, considering the singular characteristics of each country and the increase in productivity, (because the commercial exchange guarantees the possibility of acquiring all the products necessary for living without having to make each one of them). For this reason, the international exchanges are an important tool for development, and its evolution has always target the freedom of trade, based at principles such as non-discrimination and elimination of trade barriers, which had a great impulse with the GATT Rounds and the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The regionalism is an antique and complex movement, composed by geographic, political, economic, cultural and juridical variables, among others. Although its first manifestations can be found at the Ancient Age, the recent phenomenon is based on the proliferation of preferential commercial arrangements, accepted by the multilateral system as exceptions of the principle of the most favored nation (article XXIV of GATT), because it is believed that regional agreements facilitate the implementation of the multilateral system and generates the development of the countries. The great participation of developing countries and least developed countries in regional trade arrangements and its persistent subdeveloped condition when compared to the developed economies makes us question the statement that regionalism promotes development. Using the example of the Latin America, this thesis intends to analyze the issue and conclude on the efficacy of the regionalism in promoting the development of the involved countries.