资源描述:
《What are debates about justice in international trade really about》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、Whataredebatesaboutjusticeininternationaltradereallyabout?ChristianBarry,EditorEthicsandInternationalAffairsJournalTheWTOministerialmeetinginHongKong—themostrecentofthe Dohadevelopmentroundtalks—confirmedthesalienceofthedebateontrade,whichhasfocusedonthequestionofwhethertheevolvingWTO
2、system,whichaimstoliberalizetradeingoods,capital,ideas,and(toalesserextent)peoplewithinamultilateralandmarket-orientedframework,isfairorjust.Someactivists,academics,andpolicymakershaveincreasinglyvoicedconcernsthatthetradesystemisseriouslyunjust,orattheveryleastnotasjustasitmightbe.Ot
3、hershaverushedtoitsdefense,arguingthatevenifthissystemisnotthebestofallpossibletradingsystems,itiscertainlythebestthatcanbefeasiblyrealizedinthepresentworld.DisagreementsaboutthejusticeoftheWTOsystemaresometimespurelyempirical,concerningonlythebestmeanstoachievesharedethicalobjectives
4、.Insuchcases,advocatesofopposingpositionsagreeontheconsiderationsthatarerelevantfordeterminingthejusticeoftheserules—theysharethesame conception ofjusticeintrade—butneverthelessdisagreeabouthowtheseconsiderationsapplytoaparticularcasebecausetheydisagreeonrelevantfacts.Thatis,wecanhave
5、purelyempiricaldisagreementsaboutthejusticeoftheWorldTradeOrganization'sagreementonintellectualpropertyrules(theTRIPSagreement)becauseofdivergentpredictionsofhowTRIPSwillservethesharedgoalsofensuringaccesstolife-savingmedicaltreatmentsandprotectingthepropertyrightsofthosewhocreatesoci
6、allybeneficialproductssuchaslife-savingmedicaltreatments.However,thedebateisoftenunderlinedbydivergentviewsonmorefundamentalquestionsofprinciple.Insuchcases,advocatesofopposingpositionsmayagreeonalltherelevantfactsbutdisagreeaboutwhethersomearrangementsarejust.Wemaythusagreecompletely
7、inourpredictionsofthelikelyeffectsoftheTRIPSagreement,yetstilldisagreeaboutitsjustice.Thismighthappenbecauseweattachdifferentimportancetothegoalsofensuringaccessofpoorpeopletolife-savingdrugsandandprotectingthepropertyrightsofthosewhocreate.Itisoftenverydifficultinpracticetodeterminew
8、hatki