ABSTRACT
Free trade vs fair trade and the W T O As we have seen already, many international structures and organisations exist that have the effect of undermining the economic development (and hence health) of various third world countries. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is quickly becoming perceived as one of these. As I write this (August 2004), their meeting at Geneva has already passed its time limit without resolution of the obstacles. Their meeting at Cancún, Mexico (2003), also failed. At Doha (2001 ), great intentions to improve the situation for the poorer nations were promulgated. But what has happened since? Both the European Union and the US have refined and extended their home-country subsidy programmes. The first world has become even richer and the third world even poorer.
