Group work Last Sunday, more than 50,000 people demonstrated in the streets of Nontes, the capital of Newland, against economic globalisation, free trade and the government’s plan to join the WTO The.
Group-work: Last Sunday, more than 50,000 people demonstrated in the streets of Nontes, the capital of Newland, against economic globalisation, free trade and the government’s plan to join the WTO The Republic of Newland is a developing, lower-middle-income country with a population of 30 million people It has a booming export-oriented toy manufacturing industry and it has become a major producer and exporter of car bumpers, water pumps for washing machines, and touch screens for smart phones Newland also has a growing call center industry due to its large pool of college graduates who speak English fluently However, many of its other industries are unable to compete with foreign goods and services The demonstration was organised by the Newland Coalition for a Better World (NCBW), representing Newland’s labour unions and its main environmental, consumer and human rights organisations Also the nationalist party NFN, which stands for Newland for Newlanders, took part in the demonstration When small groups of radicals attacked and destroyed a McJohn’s restaurant along the route, the police intervened to disperse the demonstrators with tear gas Three hours of violent clashes between the police and a group of about 500 young demonstrators ensued, leaving several people wounded At an emergency cabinet meeting called on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister announced that she would invite the Chair of the NCBW to a public debate on economic globalisation, international trade and the government’s plan to join the WTO On Monday, the Chair of the NCBW accepted the challenge The debate is to be broadcast live on Wednesday evening You serve on the personal staff of the Prime Minister, and it is your job to prepare her for this important debate by briefing her as fully as possible on all the positive and negative aspects – economic, political and legal – of international trade and WTO membership With regard to WTO membership, you expect the Chair of the NCBW, a professor of constitutional law, to question, inter alia: (1) for many years Newland’s best diplomats and negotiators will be caught up in never-ending, very complex negotiations on accession; (2) Newland will be forced to make many amendments to its domestic legislation; (3) Newland, as a developing country, will not be able to participate effectively in WTO negotiations and decision-making (These texts are re-made from Exercises of Chapter and of Peter Van den Bossche and Werner Zdouc (2013), The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization (3rd edn.), Cambridge University Press) Questions (Group-Work): What are differences between the GATT and WTO’s dispute settlement system? Can a Member challenge the WTO consistency of a measure by a private party? What is the prime object and purpose of the WTO dispute settlement system and why is important to the multilateral trading system? What is the WTO dispute settlement system’s preferred method of dispute settlement? Why? Why is the panels’ and Appellate Body’s task to clarify existing provisions of the covered agreements an important task? What are the remedies for breach of WTO law? In your opinion, should a Member that causes significant damage to the economy of another Member as a result of breach of WTO law compensate this damage? Should customs duties, which were imposed in violation of WTO law, be repaid to the importer? What are the requirements that a panel request must meet? what are the required qualifications for a panelist? How and by whom are Members of the Appellate Body appointed? What can be appealed? Can factual findings ever be subject of appeal?