ABSTRACT
We have so far gleaned something of the institutional evolution of international trade regulation, the significance of the WTO’s creation, and the WTO’s location within the contemporary system of global governance. We have seen that the evolution of international trade regulation has been such that a critical juncture was reached with the completion of the Uruguay Round. This juncture brought with it an extension in the operational range of the core architectural principles beyond the unitary focus on trade in goods under the GATT, to include, under the WTO, trade in services, agricultural produce as well as textiles and clothing. We have also noted that the range of these principles has been extended to include the trade-related areas of investment and intellectual property. And we have seen how a significant increase in the WTO Membership has extended the geopolitical boundaries of international trade regulation. But we have yet to establish how each of the core architectural principles is expressed within the WTO’s legal framework. This chapter begins that task.
