This thesis examines the notion of monitoring mechanisms and their ability to identify non-compliance. The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) of the World Trade Organization constitutes the main focus of analysis. The purpose of the thesis is to improve the current empirical account of the functioning of the mechanism, and to examine the extent to which the mechanism is able to detect rule violations before they are taken up to the court, as well as factors affecting this ability. From theoretical standpoint, the thesis draws mainly upon rational institutionalism and other approaches related to notions of transparency and compliance. In particular, the thesis focuses on the concept of the so called information systems in international regimes. As regards methodology, the thesis relies on the method of content analysis the purpose of which is to procure empirical evidence of occurrence of matters related to non-compliance in trade policy reviews. Thus procured empirical evidence is then subjected to statistical analysis, including logistic regression. The thesis finds that TPRM covers surprisingly large number of matters that later become subjects of judicially confirmed rule-violations at the WTO. As much as 72% of the matters that are eventually taken up to court are mentioned in trade policy...

One of the most frequent questions in the study of Chinese foreign policy is whether China can be regarded as a responsible member of international society. It is the aim of the presented thesis to look more closely at China's behaviour in the present international society in terms of responsibility. The thesis utilizes the concept of international society developed by the English school of international relations and interconnects it with the concept of responsibility in international relations to determine a set of criteria which an ordinary state or great power must meet in order to be regarded as responsible in the present international society. In order to determine whether China behaves as a responsible ordinary state or great power on the international level, the thesis utilizes the method of the most likely and the least likely case studies. The analysis of China's behaviour in the World Trade Organization and within the nuclear non-proliferation regime can provide sufficient evidence of China's acceptance of primary institutions forming the backbone of the present international society. The findings have serious implications for thinking of contemporary China as a status quo state respecting institutions and rules of the present international society.

This diploma thesis deals with the impacts of the performance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the effectiveness of multilateral negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In the introduction, I present the theoretical framework of the whole thesis which is based on the approach of Victor Kremenyuk and his definition of basic analytical elements of multilateral negotiation. Further, I describe the development of the relationship between the WTO and NGOs and I also introduce the various options of involvement of NGOs into the work of the WTO including the NGOs' activities by means of which they influence the negotiation effectiveness. Through the analysis of the NGOs' performance at the ministerial conferences in Singapore (1996), Geneva (1998) and Seattle (1999) I explore the participation, options of involvement and activities of NGOs. On a concrete case of NGOs' campaign for the acceptance of the commitment to respect the basic labour standards in WTO I examine the impacts of the NGOs' performance on particular elements of negotiation - actors and their strategies, issues, structure, process and outcomes of the negotiation. In the last part of this thesis I assess the overall performance of NGOs and consequently analyze its impacts on the effectiveness of multilateral...

A debate over environmental policies and trade competitiveness, “Do environmental policies really matter to impact trade competitiveness?” still exists during the past decade. The thesis aims at investigating the impact of WTO-EU environmental policies for the international olive oil market on production and export competitiveness of developing countries. In particular, we focus our analysis on the agro-industrial sector in the Arab countries, and we take specific reference to the case of the olive oil agro-industrial sector in Syria. In the frame of a partial equilibrium trade model, we incorporate the “end-of-the-pipe” environmental policies which in turn enhance the productivity of the polluting input. Moreover, a part of the burden of environmental compliance may be shifted onto foreign consumers. The most novel part of our model consists of the augmented effect of compliance with environmental policies, which includes not only the standard impact on the effective product price, but also on the input shadow price. The empirical findings, based on Syrian data, provide strong support to the Porter Hypothesis and its application to international markets for agro-industrial products. Accordingly, the study disproves the legitimacy of concerns that stricter environmental policies in developing economies may have negative impacts on their production and export competitiveness. In contrast, our results show that compliance with environmental policies under the large country assumption has positive effects on their international competitiveness of environmentally sensitive sectors, in particular. Therefore, the policy implications suggest the implementation of strict environmental regulatory policies supporting environmentally sound technologies.

La presente tesis consiste en entender el impacto operativo en las importaciones que realizan las empresas que obtuvieron la certificación OEA en Lima Metropolitana durante los años 2016 – 2019, para lo cual se utilizaron diversas herramientas para la investigación. En ese contexto, nuestro estudio se divide en cinco capítulos, los cuales se describen a continuación: En el primer capítulo, se recopila toda la información sobre el tema de investigación en las tesis precedentes nacionales e internacionales y demás fuentes de información, así como las teorías relacionadas con la certificación OEA para tener un panorama amplio del tema que se va a investigar. Luego, en el segundo capítulo se desarrolla el plan de investigación donde primero se entra en contexto de la situación de la problemática para luego formular las preguntas de investigación y sus respectivos objetivos, tanto el principal como los específicos. De la misma manera, el capítulo tres se aborda la metodología de investigación, donde destacan el tipo de metodología utilizada y que se ajusta al trabajo, el propósito, las categorías y su respectiva clasificación según los objetivos específicos, la delimitación en espacio y tiempo, el diseño de investigación y el proceso de muestro. Asimismo, el capítulo cuatro contiene el análisis y discusión de los resultados por objetivo específico planteado. Asimismo, en el presente capítulo se detalla las barreras de investigación, nuevos hallazgos que no estaban contemplados en el estudio. Finalmente, en el capítulo cinco, se detalla las conclusiones y recomendaciones obtenidas de la investigación. / This thesis consists of understanding the operational impact on imports made by companies that obtained AEO certification in Metropolitan Lima during the years 2016 - 2019, for which various research tools were used. In this context, our study is divided into four chapters, which are described below. In the first chapter, all the information on the research topic in the national and international previous these and other sources of information is compiled, as well as the theories related to AEO certification to have a broad overview of the topic to be investigated. Then, in the second chapter, the research plan is developed, where one first enters the context of the problem situation and then formulates the research questions and their respective objectives, both main and specific. In the same way, chapter three addresses the research methodology, where they specify the type of methodology identified and that fits the work, the purpose, the categories and their respective classification according to the specific objectives, the delimitation in space and time, research design and room process. Likewise, chapter four contains the analysis and discussion of the results by specific objective set. Likewise, this chapter details the research barriers, new findings that were not considered in the study. Finally, in chapter five, the conclusions and recommendations obtained from the investigation are detailed. / Tesis

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The needs of the free trade regime and governments' legitimate regulatory aims in the area of public health protection conflict. Government health measures create barriers to free trade and are thus disciplined by the trade regime. This conflict is addressed in the rules of the World Trade Organization, in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. This Agreement uses science to mediate the conflict. The reason for the reliance on science is the view that it provides a neutral, universally-valid discipline and that thus the results of testing health measures for scientific validity would be acceptable to both parties in a dispute. This uncritical approach towards science is called into question. An analysis of the relevant science-based disciplines of the SPS Agreement and their interpretation in WTO dispute settlement shows the flaws in this system. A re-evaluation of the WTO rules governing health regulation is called for. / Law / LL.M.

The needs of the free trade regime and governments' legitimate regulatory aims in the area of public health protection conflict. Government health measures create barriers to free trade and are thus disciplined by the trade regime. This conflict is addressed in the rules of the World Trade Organization, in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. This Agreement uses science to mediate the conflict. The reason for the reliance on science is the view that it provides a neutral, universally-valid discipline and that thus the results of testing health measures for scientific validity would be acceptable to both parties in a dispute. This uncritical approach towards science is called into question. An analysis of the relevant science-based disciplines of the SPS Agreement and their interpretation in WTO dispute settlement shows the flaws in this system. A re-evaluation of the WTO rules governing health regulation is called for. / Law / LL.M.

Thesis (MA (Political Science. International Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Post-apartheid foreign policy has witnessed a fundamental shift in South African foreign policy objectives and strategies as the country has aimed to move from a pariah to a participant in the international community. Since 1994, South Africa has become an active player in the international system and has assumed an increasingly active role in international organisations. One distinct strand of South African foreign policy which has emerged is a commitment to the use and support of multilateralism. Yet, as the country has become increasingly active in multilateral fora, so too, it is argued, has it been torn between the promotion of its own interests and those of its African peers. At times South Africa is seen to vociferously champion African interests, and at others to sideline the interests of its African partners and the notion of the African Renaissance, in favour of its own interests. Yet, whilst inconsistencies in South African multilateral foreign policy exist, this study argues that overall, South Africa has actively and consciously attempted to establish itself as an African middle power within the international system, and to create a distinct niche for itself as “the voice of Africa” in multilateral fora. Employing a Middle Power approach and utilising the concept of niche-building diplomacy this study investigates first, South Africa’s middle power niche in the international system at large, before, secondly, investigating South Africa’s role at the World Trade Organisation. The study concludes that, while South Africa has continually attempted to establish itself as “the voice of Africa” in a range of multilateral fora and has acted in a manner consistent with this stated objective, it has acted contrary to its established niche at the World Trade Organisation since joining this organisation in 1994. Indeed, this study finds that whereas in other multilateral fora South Africa has acted as the standard-bearer of African interests, in the World Trade Organisation it has acted contrary to African interests time and again. The findings indicate that the Middle Power concept in international relations itself needs to be revisited, that South Africa’s role as a middle power in the international system requires greater investigation, and that further research is required on the roles played by other middle powers at the World Trade Organisation.

Both, the European Union legal order and the World Trade Organization law represent important examples of the supranational legal system. This thesis focuses on their mutual relationship, in concrete through the perspective of the EU law. It aims to analyse how the European law approaches the WTO rules and which effects are granted to them. Introductory chapter provides the reader with a wider perspective of the examined topic dealing with relationship of the European law and the public international law in general. It presents the historical development as well as the current status of the relationship. Attention is brought to relevant provisions of the EU law and related case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. It also outlines a theoretical background of the issue. Chapter Two focuses in a more specific way on the position of WTO norms in the EU legal order. Firstly, it briefly defines the WTO law while reflecting the specifics in regard of the EU. Afterwards, it is examined, which effects are granted to the WTO rules in the European law, particularly through the reasoning of the CJEU. The last chapter puts the results of the analysis into a wider context and sketches the background of the topic at hand. That provides inputs for a final evaluation of the current status and an...