The ILI has established an International Trade Law Center to assist countries in participating effectively in the WTO and the markets it creates. The Center provides advice to national governments on establishing the legal and administrative structures necessary to comply with their obligations under the WTO agreements, as well as advice on issues relating to dispute resolution. An important component of the Center's activities is in-depth training of individuals in government, in business, and in professional practice with respect to the WTO rules, procedures, and practices. Each course and consultation program -- especially those relating to compliance and law reform -- is built by reference to the specific legal institutions and level of legal development of the country for which the services are being provided, as well as the specific needs and challenges faced by that country in participating effectively in the rule-oriented trading system.
PROJECTS CARRIED OUT BY THE CENTER INCLUDE:
• Training more than 250 Chinese judges on WTO
• Assisting the Government of Armenia in developing trade policies and implementing the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade
• Assisting the Government of Jordan to draft its final offer to the WTO regarding the GPA
• Offering a course on trade agreement monitoring and compliance five times a year at the U.S Foreign Service Institute
• A six-month training program for a group of Chinese lawyers from Zhejiang Province focusing on trade and commercial law
• A six–month training program for a Ministry of Justice of Vietnam's lawyer delegation on international economic integration
• Assisting Zambia with its Trade Policy Review
COMPLYING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RULES ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT
More than 153 governments have signed the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization, committing themselves to comply with a large body of complex rules and procedures that regulate the actions of national governments affecting international trade. A continuing work program is under way in the WTO on important topics such as competition policy. Every country expecting to gain the benefits of WTO membership will in turn be expected to comply with its obligations under the WTO agreements and to implement them effectively through changes in its domestic laws, institutions, and administrative practices. Each country will also want to take steps, when necessary, to insure compliance by other countries.
Beyond the WTO - The last decade or so has seen an explosion in the number of regional trade agreements - mostly free trade areas and customs unions – and this trend is likely to continue even if the Doha Round of multinational trade negotiations is successfully concluded.
SUBJECTS ADDRESSED BY THE INTERNATIONAL LAW TRADE CENTER
Negotiating Trade Agreements
• Agreements of accession to the WTO, General Trade Agreements and·Regional Trade Agreements
Compliance
Ensuring that the country's domestic laws and administrative practices are consistent with WTO obligations on matters such as:
• Tariffs and quotas
• Administration of customs laws
• Government subsidies, anti-dumping, countervailing duties and other trade remedies
• Technical standards for industrial and agricultural products
• Intellectual property protection
| • Understanding and utilizing special provisions in the WTO designed to enhance the trade opportunities for developing country members |
| while they make domestic adjustments for integrating into the rule-based trading system |
Law Reform
Improving the country's efficiency and competitiveness in the global marketplace by revising laws and regulations governing business activity, including:
• Laws regulating foreign investment
• Government procurement laws and anti-corruption measures
INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW CENTER - Advisory Board
Jean Anderson, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Richard Bernal, Director General, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery
Lilia Bautista, former Senior Undersecretary and Special Trade Negotiator, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines
Richard Cuningham, Steptoe & Johnson
Esperanza Durán, Director, Agency for International Trade Information and Cooperation
William Eberle, former Special Trade Representative for Trade Negotiations
William Frenzel, Brookings Institution, former member of Congress
Jonathan Fried, Assistant Deputy Minister, Trade and Economic Policy, Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Allan Gotlieb, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States
Spencer Griffith, Akin, Gump, Strauss Hauer & Feld
Gary Horlick, Wilmer Hale
Gary Hufbauer, Vice President, Director of Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Robert Litan, Director of Economic Studies, Brookings Institute
Donald MacDonald, former Finance Minister of Canada
Mark McConnell, Hogan & Hartson
Mike Moore, former Director-General, WTO
Renato Ruggerio, former Director General, WTO
Harry Schwarz, former South African Ambassador to the United States
Andrew Shoyer, Sidley Austin
Jaime Serra Puche, former Secretary of Commerce of Mexico
Peter Sutherland, former Director General, WTO
Alan Sykes, Professor, University of Chicago Law School
Zhang Yuqing, former Director of Treaties and Law, Ministry of Commerce, China
Arthur Appleton, Appleton Luff, Geneva
Robert E. Herzstein, former Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade (Chairman)
Don Wallace, Jr., Chairman of the Board, International Law Institute, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
CONTACT:
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Patrick Macrory |
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The Foundry Building |