Terms of Argument - The WTO

In the terms of the World Trade Organization and global economic equality, I would argue that the WTO is a critical factor in propagating global economic equality. Global economic equality entails spurring the economic growth of less-developed and developing countries and I plan to start there with my argument. The WTO’s recognition of weak states has led to agreements that allow weaker states to be competitive in a global market that otherwise would be dominated by the economic super-powers. These agreements include tariff reduction, domestic subsidy reduction, and export subsidy reduction. The benefit that weak countries have received from these agreements can be evidenced in both economic studies as well as basic tracking of GDP growth in those countries. Furthermore, we can look towards how the WTO is structured as a representation of global economic equality. The WTO is practically a forum space in which all member-states can hash out their agendas with equal voice. This equality is in turn evidenced by the fact that all decisions conducted by the WTO must be unanimously agreed on, essentially giving even the weakest of countries veto power. Another structural pillar of the WTO is the Principles of Equality. The Principles of Equality are composed of the principle of non-discrimination which provides for an equal playing field by setting rules in which countries must treat domestic and foreign goods equally (national treatment rule) and must not discriminate between foreign goods(most-favored-nation rule). Additionally, these rules are applied to all members be they big or small. The second principle, the principle of consensus decision-making, provides equal right and equal vote to each member-state.  If we were to look at a broader picture, we would also find that the WTO is the only entity in the world that accommodates such a vast number of such different and diverse states. No other international organization has the capabilities or the motivation to propel global economic equality in such a way.