ABSTRACT
Important social and economic transformations have been taking place in recent years. The end of the Cold War and the triumph of nco-liberalism have not led necessarily to a fully fledged 'open' world economy as might have been expected. While the promotion of multilateralism is the proclaimed objective of public policy in many countries and by international organizations, the emergence and consolidation of regional trade and economic blocs have also become a significant trend in the new world scenario. This is probably more a sign that increased intercapitalist rivalry, as between the main centres of world capitalism and with regards to the interests prevailing in each, continues to influence international developments now that the East-West divide of the Cold War has been set aside.
